Interlunium
by AyutaYutyl
Summary: "All the Remnant's a stage, and all the men and women merely players, merely pieces on the board, each and every one of them guided by hands unseen. And as they play their parts, they'll soon come to learn that true darkness resides not just behind the soulless eyes of the Grimm, but also within the hearts of men and women not too dissimilar to you and me."
1. Act 1: Chapter 1

**ACT 1: Ab Initio**

* * *

"As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning."

\- Criss Jami

* * *

Jaune Arc was not a person of many talents, if he was being honest with himself. Lack of social skills and his less-than-stellar swordsmanship aside, his inability to get up on time also contributed to his already long list of faults, often landing him in troublesome situations filled with sheepish apologies and disapproving glares.

Thankfully, the man behind the ticket booth did nothing of the sort, though he did raise a brow at the young adult, who was currently doubled over, panting and sweating from exertion. Clearly the blonde overslept and legged the whole way, the man surmised. The only difference from the day before was that this time, the kid managed to arrive minutes before the airship took off.

"A-am I… late…?" Jaune huffed.

"Not this time, kiddo. The terminal's to the right. Get in there before you miss the flight again." The man gestured to the side, pointing at a line of people.

Jaune exhaled in relief, wiping the sweat from his brow. Shouldering his only baggage in form of a simple backpack, he stepped through the terminal, trailing after the crowd through the long terminal, and finally, into the airship bound for his destination.

Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a pill container. Popping the lid open, he tossed one into his mouth, swallowing in trepidation. He only hoped the flight, and the aftermath, would be as bright as the weather outside.

* * *

Ruby Rose wasn't much of a morning person.

It wasn't that she didn't – or couldn't – get up on time, just that she preferred not to. Nothing was worth leaving the comforting warmth of her bed for, unless cookies or strawberries, or heaven forbid, her sister, was involved.

This morning wasn't like the rest, though. No pranks, no shaking beds. No Yang. Just incessant alarm screeching in her ear.

The girl groggily rolled off the bed, the clock in her grip, now silent. Yawning widely, she made her way to the bathroom, and sounds of rushing water was heard minutes later. The facility wasn't what she was used to back home in Patch; the walls were coated with aged dirt, moth-eaten carpet flooring, and faint traces of odour wafted about in the air.

She smacked herself the moment she first stepped in the backpackers several days ago. In hindsight, she shouldn't have chosen the cheapest accommodation without looking up the details first. The silver lining in this grey crappy room, she mused, was that this would be the last morning she would spend in here before she joined up with Yang in Beacon Academy. In truth she was supposed to be in the academy yesterday, though an unforeseen _circumstance_ forced her trip to be pushed back by twenty four hours.

And in fifteen minutes she would be leaving this place behind her for good…

Ruby's thought screeched to a halt. Fifteen minutes? Her eyes widened.

"Crap!"

* * *

The passenger airships, compared to the variants used for military purposes, travelled at the fraction of the latter's velocity. Coupled with the large windows in the viewing gallery that doubled as accommodation area, these aircrafts were suitable for scenic flights.

And the scenery was breath-taking. The green of wilderness wasn't an unusual sight for him, having spent good portion of his childhood in the forest and rural settings, but this was his first time seeing it from several hundred feet up above. And he could appreciate the sight without having to worry about his motion sickness acting up. Anti-emetics, thy name was a miracle, indeed.

Directing his eyes away from the wide windows, Jaune surveyed the crowd in the gallery, looking for signs of tech and weapons among the sea of civilians. He was sort of hoping that there were at least few others like him, those who overslept and missed the scheduled flight, resorting to hitch a ride with the visitors and hoping to still find a way in to what was most likely the most prestigious combat academy in not only Vale, but possibly of all Remnant.

He shifted his focus to the citizens, all split into their own groups and mingling. Despite the flight being scheduled for at least several hours, none of them seemed bothered by the fact. Jaune wasn't surprised though, since they were most likely visitors, eager for the tour around the institution that was famed for its long history of producing the greatest Huntsmen since the end of Second Age and continuing that trend through the current Third.

His hand trailed down his side until it wrapped around the hilt of his blade, Crocea Mors. Prized heirloom of the once revered family of war heroes, his grandfather, Remus Arc, was one such hero, who have led a small but skilled team of Hunters and Huntresses against outbreaks of Grimm infestation in Vale, cutting his way through scores of the foul beings with the very same blade in young Jaune's hand.

Jaune's grip tightened. Remus Arc was not the only Arc renowned for their combat prowess and altruism, many names have been recorded in the Arc Codex along with their deeds and achievements. Jaune refused to be the only failure of the family. He wouldn't, couldn't, fail.

"I can do this. My parents did, so did my sisters. I can do this." Jaune muttered solemnly.

So lost in thought, he didn't notice the crowd gathering around the windows until their loud cheers echoed in the gallery. Curious, he made his way to the congregated crowd, and saw what made them cheer. The numerous holographic projectors were displayed on the window, each of them different showing different live footage of the Initiation that was currently transpiring down on the forest below.

One of the monitors showed a black-haired boy taking on a two-headed snake Jaune recognised as a King Taijitu, his dual SMGs letting loose green bursts of bullet on the white and black-headed serpentine Grimm while nimbly twisting and dodging their attacks. The crowd gasped as the boy was knocked to the ground, the fang dripping with venom closing on the fallen boy, though it soon turned to gasps of awe as the Asian blocked them with his bare hands. His body glowing green, he delivered a single palm strike powerful enough to completely pulverise both heads at the same time.

On the monitor to the right showed a orange-haired girl brandishing what seemed like a giant warhammer which she swung around effortlessly, batting away a large bear-like Grimm easily several times her size with ease. The look of pure joy as she did so unnerved some of the crowd, Jaune himself included.

Trailing not far behind the girl Jaune saw a red-haired girl, wielding a spear and a round shield which piqued his interest. That interest soon grew into amazement as she lobbed it as one would a discus, hitting several wolf-like Grimm in multiple succession before returning back to its wielder. Jumping over the fallen corpse of a Beowolf she thrust another in the chest, before shifting the spear into a short sword, which she used to slash a monkey-like Grimm that tried to sneak up behind her.

And on and on it went, as various prospective Beacon students unknowingly showed off their skills and proficiencies in their chosen arms. The longer it went, the louder the cheer grew.

And the pit in his stomach continued to deepen, and for the first time, it wasn't due to his motion sickness.

The familiar sensation of rising bile saw to him pushing through the crowd and rushing into the nearest bathroom. There he heaved himself dry, emptying contents of his stomach. The noise must've drawn some attention, as he heard footsteps drawing closer, before hastily backing away, no doubt warded off by the stench. Jaune found himself too distracted to care.

"Holy shit..." He's heard of Beacon Academy, and the caliber of those who were invited to enlist. But actually seeing them in action, taking down Grimm with practiced ease and honed expertise, he knew that even if his faked credentials got him past the watchful eyes of the administration, his obvious lack of skills and training would immediately stand out. Then it would've been only a matter of time before he was found out and kicked out, his crime forever staining his name, thus ending any chance of being a Huntsman. The thought of being mocked and laughed at was nothing new to him, and yet it never failed to terrify him.

That fear, coupled with resignation, made his choice for him before it formed in his mind. Why risk certain humiliation when he could simply, quietly step down? He was never a Huntsman material, and he couldn't see that ever changing. Admitting it to himself was bitter, as was the fact that he was tearing up in a public area, where anyone could've walked in and saw him as he quietly broke down. He couldn't bring himself to care.

* * *

Ruby leaned against the wall near the bar, two glasses of soda in her hands. Holding a drink for two was awkward enough, but even more so was loitering around the entrance of the male bathroom, if the stares she got from other passengers were anything to go by. She flushed in embarrassment, though made no attempt to move away from her spot.

Just minutes ago she was amongst the crowd, watching and cheering as her sister starred in the live footage, punching an Ursa clean through several trees, her long hair crackling with fire. With her choice of attire that emphasised her femininity (one that Ruby was still getting green-eyed about), she was, for all intents and purposes, hot, and the audience knew it as well. The younger sister couldn't help but shake her head; Yang just drew attention wherever she went, intentionally or not.

Yang flickered out of view, and Ruby chose to focus on another projector, this one showing a white-haired girl garbed in a regal dress of same hue. She watched in amazement as the white girl flourished her rapier, hurtling spikes of ice towards bipedal amphibian Grimm.

A black-haired girl leapt from the corner of another monitor, her blade piercing through the jugular of a stag Grimm, and back-flipped gracefully as another rushed towards her with its antlers. Ruby squealed mentally as the girl's weapon shifted form, and long black ribbon flowed from the end, snaking around the Grimm's legs until she pulled on it, causing it to stumble.

If Ruby was nervous before, she certainly was now, but it was out of excitement. Here, she would meet other high-calibre students with their unique weapons and Semblances. Here, she could freely take her dear Crescent Rose out for a 'walk' without having to worry about holding herself back. She also heard about the forge in the academy, and how it was maintained with the latest techs and tools she could only read and dream about, and that lane of thought just led down to all the upgrades she could try and maybe even new weapons and armours she could forge and…

She was shaken out of her daydream when she was rudely shoved to the side, landing on her rear. Before she could cry out in indignation, the person was already running through the crowd and bolted towards the bathroom marked for gentlemen.

Huffing, she stopped and waited for the asshole to step out. If he thought he could simply get away with it, then he was about to find out how wrong he was. Intentional or no, her stinging posterior demanded justice, paid in full with a heartfelt apology and maybe a bag of cookies if she was lucky. The sound of wretching reverberated around the bathroom and she winced in disgust, an expression mirrored by a man who stepped out of the bathroom. The man muttered under his breath, before he disappeared into the crowd. Ruby watched him leave, before turning her attention back to the bathroom, disgust swiftly changing to that of astonishment as she heard him sob.

The underlying sorrow in his sobs tugged on her heart, and her thoughts of revenge soon evaporated, replaced with concern for the poor guy, and the urge to do something, anything, to make him stop crying. _'What do I do? What do I do?!'_ Ruby panicked, fidgeting with her fingers as she walked in circles, chewing her lips.

Hence her current predicament. Her initial plan involved sharing her stash of cookies stored in her bag with a glass of milk from the bar, though that plan was quickly foiled when she found out that, no, no self-respecting bar would ever sell milk (not on their own, anyway) and the only non-alcoholic beverage the bartender would ever sell to a minor was simple soda. Begrudgingly she asked for two glasses, slapping her lien on the counter before quickly relieved them from his hands.

The guy had yet to come out, and the heat on her face was increasing as the stares continued. Seriously, what was taking so long? Coughing, she mustered whatever shred of courage she had left before hovering over the bathroom entrance.

"H-hey? You… okay in there?" Ruby asked hesitantly, looking back to see if anyone noticed what she was doing. She received no reply, and she was getting sick of getting stared at. Why on earth she decided to do something like this, all for a guy she has never met before and rudely manhandled her mere minutes before, she had no idea. It was at times like this she wished she could just ignore other people and leave them to their own misery, considering she had her own to deal with.

Sighing, she decided to just leave him be, when she heard the footsteps.

* * *

The cold sensation of cold water on his face was a welcoming one. The taste of bile was still there, though it wasn't anything a quick mouth rinse couldn't fix. Feeling somewhat refreshed, he took a shaky breath, and checked his reflection. His eyes were still red, and his face was locked in a grim expression. He didn't want to face the world looking like now, but staying in the toilet wasn't an option either.

He sighed. Now that it was established his dream of getting into Beacon was an impossible one, he had no idea where to go next, what to do next. His only possessions were in that one backpack he carried with him, he no longer had enough lien to pay his rent, and he no longer had a dream to pursue. That left him with only two options. The streets, or going back home, and neither appealed to him.

With a frown he stepped out, and nearly ran into a girl in black.

"Woah hey!" Jaune and the girl yelped.

"Uh, sorry." They both spoke at the same time. Embarrassed, they averted their gaze, suddenly showing interest in their choice of footwear.

"So uh, can I help you with something, miss?" Jaune asked politely. Flustered, the girl squawked, before she mumbled.

"I, uh, I mean, would you like to- no wait." The young girl stuttered, before shoving both glasses into his hands. "H-here!" And with that she took off, disappearing into the crowd.

Dumbstruck, he could only gape as the girl took off in a blink, leaving behind a faint trail of rose petals in her wake. Shrugging, he stared at the glass filled with clear fizzy liquid, and took a sip. He had to admit, the cool taste was a refreshing change to sour taste of vomit in the back of his mouth.

In spite of his current plight, he couldn't help but smile a little.

* * *

' _Stupid stupid stupid!'_ Ruby moaned, burying her face in her arms as she sat on one of the stools. It didn't require an intellectual to know that her face took on a hue redder than her cloak, if such a thing was possible.

She couldn't get the image of his youthful face out of her head. Those clear blue eyes, puffed up and red from crying, it wasn't something she was expecting to see. Nor did she expect him to be so young and tall.

Her train of thought derailed, words came out in jumbles, made even more awkward when the guy/boy(?) in question didn't exactly help filling in the blanks, either. Then she just had to fumble and run like a coward, without even telling him what she wanted to say, after wasting minutes of her life getting stared at as if she had few screws loose in her head.

Fan-bloodly-tastic.

How on earth did Yang do it? She couldn't fathom how her older sister could converse with anyone with such ease and confidence, that even when she was in an awkward situation, she knew how to bounce back. Ruby didn't.

Not for the first time, Ruby wished she had her sister's seemingly inherent ability to easily befriend anyone. Then she wouldn't have to worry about trying hard to make friends wherever she went, like Beacon Academy, filled with people she's never met before, and all who would be two years her senior. And she thought her days in Signal Academy were difficult.

She felt the table tremble, and then felt the world around her shake as shockwaves rippled through the aircraft. She felt the pull of gravity as the airship plummeted towards the ground, the heat of fire and explosion drowning the screams of fright of other passengers, and the sudden embrace of darkness that extinguished all light.

* * *

 **Somewhat redundant, but I'd like to point out that the cover image is not mine. Hopefully that'll mean I won't have to deal with the lawsuits.**

 **Anyways, this is my first RWBY fic. I've had the story sitting in my head for some time, and I decided to give it a go. It's been some time since I last flexed my writing muscle though, so I hope it hasn't atrophied too much. That being said, grammar's not exactly my strongest suit, so if you happen to come across any that I happen to miss, feel free to point out. That applies to other story-related things, too. Gives me a reason to re-write past chapters, anyway.**

 ***Updated as of 25/04/17 - because I can.***


	2. Act 1: Chapter 2

**ACT 1: Fortitude**

* * *

"I know of no higher fortitude than stubbornness in the face of overwhelming odds."

\- Louis Nizer

* * *

' _I'm… alive?'_

Jaune blinked as the fog in his eyes cleared up, revealing the outline of the trees that loomed over him. He felt his consciousness return, and with it, a growing pain in his abdomen.

Hissing in pain, his hand reflexively reached out, alarmed when he felt the dampness of blood seeping through his shirt, coating his hand. Stunned, he could only stare until the pain spiked, eliciting a strained cry from his parch-dry throat.

"Son of a-! Ow!"

Gritting his teeth he forced himself on all fours, panting from the effort. Swivelling his head, he tried to find something, anything, to help stop the bleeding. As luck would have it, he found his backpack not far from where he was, its contents haphazardly strewn about. Grunting, he crawled towards his belongings, his hand finding purchase on one of his shirts. He vaguely recognised it as one of the few clothing he reserved for formal occasions, though the sharp pain on his stomach quickly dismissed that thought.

Roughly folding it in his hands, he placed it on his wound, and, bracing himself, applied pressure.

Jaune Arc rarely swore, having lived under a same roof with seven females – eight including his mother – tended to dissuade him from uttering profanities. For the first time in a long while however, torrents of expletives spewed forth as he saw stars in his eyes from the overwhelming pain.

"FUUU-!"

He didn't know how much time has passed, nor was he aware that he blacked out at some point. When he woke up again, he felt somewhat better. Not a whole lot, but he certainly didn't feel like he was close to knocking on Death's door now.

That would do. For now.

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos was not happy.

Then again, it was hard not to. Squeals of fans and all those requests for autographs wasn't exactly her ideal kickstarter of the day, after all. Breakfast in the mess hall was worse, being subjected to all the stares and whispers killing her appetite even before she was halfway through her toast. To top it off, several people approached her in the locker room, initiating conversations that all subtly hinted at topics of potential partnership. A polite smile and a friendly encouragement or two was the extent of her reply, and just when she thought she was finally left to her own devices, more would accost her with eager (and to some extent arrogant) expressions that threatened to grind her patience to dust.

Her partner went the extra mile and utilised those dust to freeze an Ursa in place with ice. With a flick of her rapier, Weiss sent a wave of fire that hit the Grimm squarely in the face. Temporarily disoriented, Pyrrha took the opening and used it to end the Grimm's existence with a powerful thrust of her Miló.

"Great work, Pyrrha. With a teamwork like ours, it won't be long before the two of us are recognised as the strongest among other students." Weiss complimented as Pyrrha pulled out her spear from the carcass. When the champion did not respond, Weiss continued, "It was quite fortunate that we were paired up, wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't want to get some… _commoners_ mixed up with the elites. God only knows it can only end dreadfully."

"Oh, I'm sure it won't be that bad. It _is_ Beacon Academy, after all." Pyrrha replied, trying to keep her voice neutral. Her partner could certainly walk the talk, but the condescending tone left much to desire in terms of personality. Not that Pyrrha would ever say that to anyone's face. "Only the top students from various combat institutions around Remnant can sign up, and even then not everyone gets accepted. It's a little early to consider ourselves the best, don't you think?"

"Highly unlikely." Weiss snorted. "Even if that was the case, then all we have to do is train harder to surpass them, and clearly show them how outmatched they are."

Pyrrha shifted uncomfortably, though she couldn't really disagree with the heiress. After all, she too disliked the taste of defeat, and with her status as a record-holder champion of Mistral Tournaments, victory was the only option left for her. Her pride wasn't the only thing that would crash and burn when she failed. "You've got a point there."

"Of course. Now, let's make haste, shall we? I'd much prefer if we avoid being the last to complete this initiation." With that she set off on a brisk pace, leaving Pyrrha no choice but to follow her partner with a discreet sigh.

"Do you even know where we're heading?" The question came out harsher than she intended, though the Schnee heiress didn't seem to notice. Either that, or she chose not to care.

"Of course I do! We just make our way towards the… well, where we need to find the relics…" Weiss trailed off awkwardly, her face flushing in embarrassment as Pyrrha giggled in amusement. "I-it's not funny!"

"It's alright, Weiss. Being directionally challenged isn't the worst flaw of a character." Pyrrha placated, though her lips were still curled up.

"I am _not_ directionally challenged, and for your information, have they had enough sense to provide us with a map, or even a basic layout of this landscape we wouldn't be wasting our time here."

"I believe you." Pyrrha said in a tone that convinced neither of them. Before Weiss could protest, Pyrrha continued. "But I think I can get us to where we need to go. Can you trust me to do that?"

"Fine, I'll defer to your superior sense of direction, then." Weiss replied, grumbling.

The two continued walking for an hour, when they heard the echoes of thunder in the distance, accompanied by a slight tremor of the ground. Puzzled, they turned towards the general direction of the sound, though the vast canopy of the Emerald Forest trees obstructed their view.

"What was that?" Pyrrha asked.

"I don't know. Though by the sound of it, whatever it is, it's far enough for us not to care." Was the heiress' nonchalant reply. "Now, we really should get going. If we wish to secure our positions in this Academy, then we need to get our hands on those relics before other initiates do."

"Right, of course." With that the two of them set off once more. If the headmaster's vague instructions were anything to go by, not every students would be granted entry to the academy, and neither had any intentions of being one of the rejects.

So for another hour or so they continued on, alternating between running and walking to preserve their stamina, all the while looking out for Grimm. The forest around them soon thinned out, leading to a large clearing. A tall mountain stood to the side, and on its base stood a large spire, with series of platforms jutting out on the side in concentric design, greatly resembling a staircase that led downwards into the chasm, its gap bridged by an overpass built of same material.

"Whoa, you can't even see the bottom. How deep does it go, and where does it lead?" Fascinated, Pyrrha inched closer to the edge, her focus turning to the stairway that continued its spiral descent into the dark depths of the ravine. "Weiss, you have to take a look at this!"

"I-I'm fine right here, thank you." Weiss replied hesitantly, firmly rooted to the spot well away from the edge. She turned to look at anywhere but where her daring partner stood, her gaze focusing on a decrepit ruin, or rather, an object that glinted in the daylight, barely visible through the cracks in the structure. Calling for her partner, she ran towards and around the side of the rotunda. There, laid in circular formation were multiple pedestals, and placed on them were objects that looked suspiciously like chess pieces.

"These are… chess pieces?" Pyrrha wondered as she picked up a gold piece with a triangle tip. "Bishop." The champion stated, confirming their suspicions. "These must be the relic pieces we were looking for."

"Well, I suppose we're set." Weiss declared with a mixed tone of relief and pride. "Still, that doesn't explain how the teams are arranged-"

She was cut off when an exhilarated cry pierced the air, and from the bushes out leapt an Achlis, riding on its back a girl hefting a large war hammer. The elk-like Grimm gave a strangled whine and collapsed, and the girl prodded it with the tip of her oversized weapon, a baffled expression adorning her face. "Hey, what happened? Why isn't it moving?"

Another figure leapt from the trees, landing gracefully on her feet. Clad in a rather exotic ensemble of black and white, the mysterious girl sighed as she walked up to the hyped redhead. "Can you not pull off something like that in the future, please? Nora?"

The girl called Nora bobbed her head up and down. "Okies! I promise I'll let you ride the next one, Blakey! Ooh, look! Shiny stuff!"

"That's not what I- wait, Nora!" Blake shouted at her partner, who was already darting back and forth the pedestals, before snatching up the last of the golden bishop piece. "Blake, look look look! It's got a funny shape that looks a lot like one of those pyramid-things in Vacuo and it looks a lot like a sloth nose! Hey, maybe we should make sloth noises and it can be our own secret signals! And-"

"Nora, please!" Blake shouted again, finally catching her hyper partner's attention, who had the decency to look sheepish.

"Ooops. Sorry Blake!"

Blake sighed. "It's fine. Just… come here, please." Rubbing her temple, she noticed the two girls standing to the side, one staring at them with disdain, the other with curiosity with a hint of amusement. "And you are?" Blake asked, eyeing them warily.

"Oh, pardon us! My name is Pyrrha Nikos, and this is Weiss Schnee, my partner." Pyrrha stammered, embarrassed at getting caught staring. The black-haired girl's eyes hardened at the mention of the name Schnee, and Pyrrha mistook it as a sign of irritation to her introduction. "Sorry for staring, but we weren't exactly expecting your, uh, friend, to make such an appearance."

Blake's eyes softened, as did her demeanour. "It's alright, I understand. My name is Blake, Blake Belladonna, and that's Nora, my… partner, and as you can see, she can be a bit…" She trailed off, struggling to come up with a right term.

"Unstable? Mentally unsound?" Weiss offered in a curt tone.

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'energetic'." Blake finished, frowning at the heiress, receiving one in return.

"Weiss, was that really necessary?" Pyrrha shot the heiress a disapproving look, flashing an apologetic one to Blake, who simply waved it off. Nora, done examining the remaining relic pieces, skipped over to the group, waving the bishop piece in the air. Noticing this, Pyrrha pointed out. "You picked up the other bishop piece? What a coincidence, so have we!"

At this, both Blake and Weiss blanched, while Nora whooped and slung her arms over the stunned would-be team members. "Yaaaay! We get to be in the same team now! Do you guys like pancakes? Of course you do, everyone loves pancakes! Oh oh oh! Maybe we can ask Renny to make us one and we can invite his team over and the eight of us can all eat pancakes and-"

Both girls squirmed out of the hyperactive Valkyrie's grip. "Alright alright, we get it already!" Weiss exclaimed, massaging her shoulder. "Dust, take a breath!"

Nora took no notice of the heiress' irritation, too preoccupied with the thought of devouring her childhood friend's baking. Her smile slightly faltered as she wondered where her introverted friend was now, the fact that they would not be in the same team together now sinking in. Still, it just meant that she would make even more effort to spend more time with him, she reminded herself. Uplifted with the thought, her smile broadened again.

Pyrrha stood from the side, observing her would-be teammates. Blake was leaning against a tree, with Nora's incessant rambling shattered any hope of reading her book in peace. Weiss walked in circles, lips pursed in thought, her expression turning foul when her eyes made contact with Blake's. Their wordless animosity did not go unnoticed by Pyrrha, and she couldn't help but sigh. They weren't even declared an official team, and already the tension between the two was palpable. Suddenly the four year duration of the academy seemed longer than ever.

The vibration in her pocket provided a temporary distraction from the rather depressing train of thought. Curious, she took out her scroll, the notification of a new message flashing on the screen. Swiping it open, her eyes widened when she saw that it was set on high priority.

* * *

' _ **To all initiates'**_ it read.

' _ **An hour ago, the airship carrying passengers from Vale to Beacon Academy have crash-landed en route. It was last known to be flying over near the border of the deeper part of the Emerald Forest, a territory restricted to all but authorised Huntsmen. Vale Military and the Guild have been notified promptly, and will mount a joint rescue mission with the aid of Beacon staff.**_

 _ **The Initiation process is postponed until further notice. In the meantime, all initiates are to report to the nearest extraction point, and the coordinates will be updated to your scroll. Under NO circumstances the initiates are to involve themselves in the rescue operation due to high level of danger.'**_

Seconds later, the scroll chimed another notification, this time a layout of the forest, and several co-ordinates marked as extraction points.

Yang ignored it, however, merely shoving the scroll back into her shorts pocket before stomping off. A hand on her shoulder caused her to turn to her side, levelling a heated glare at the individual. "What?!"

"You can't. You saw what the headmaster said." Her partner stated calmly.

"Then this headmaster guy can go fuck himself! My sister was on that airship, my _sister_!" Yang shouted, radiating fury.

"The authorities will be there soon, and they're better suited for handling this."

"But how long will they take before they get there? Hours? Days?!" Her lilac eyes slowly turned red, the air around her body simmering. "News flash, pretty boy, my sister doesn't have that long! If those official dudes can't get off their ass and rescue my sister, then I will!"

"So you think you can do a better job?" The blonde fighter's lip curled back in a snarl. Her partner merely raised a brow, before he carried on. "The inner part of the Emerald Forest is inhabited by Grimmkind far more dangerous than what we've faced so far. There's a reason why only accredited Hunters and Huntresses are allowed to venture past the border. They told us of this much before the Initiation started. I know you heard them."

"Yeah, and you know what, I'm still going!" Yang hotly retorted. "It'll be a freezing day in hell if I turn around and leave my sister in danger."

"But what if-" Ren never finished the sentence, as Yang's eyes turned red, teeth bared. To his credit, Ren coolly stared her down.

"She's _not_ dead," Yang hissed. "She's my family, I _won't_ allow it."

Tension bled out of her body, and she relaxed, the usual violet slipping back to her eyes. "Because of my stupidity I almost lost her once. I'm not gonna let that happen again."

"You could die," Ren pointed out.

Yang shot him a toothy smile. "That's not gonna happen." Tightening the straps of her Ember Celica, she turned to the young man that has been her partner for the past hour. "You should head back to the rendezvous point. No reason for you to risk your neck for someone else's sister, after all."

With that, she turned and resumed her trek towards the heart of the Emerald Forest. It wasn't long before she saw her partner by her side, matching her stride.

"Partners stick together, that was the rule, wasn't it?" The Eastern Mistralian commented, answering the look of surprise on Yang's face. It soon turned to a smirk, and Yang punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"And here I thought chivalry was dead."

"You're most welcome." Ren rolled his eyes, though his lips quirked up ever so slightly. Yang snorted in amusement, before putting on a serious mien. The pair picked up their pace, all thoughts of initiation and extraction shoved to the recess of their minds. "So, got the directions for us?"

Yang smiled, pointing at the sky above them. "Easy, just follow the smoke."

* * *

Corpses, blood, and fire. He's seen plenty of them before, but only behind the monitors of his computer screen, often as an ensuing result of his own deeds in the virtual world, by a digital proxy in a fantasy setting.

Turns out, the transition from the virtual world to a real one wasn't as trivial or hilarious as he thought. The waves of nausea creeping up this throat wasn't expected, either, though he already vacated the contents of his stomach earlier, back when the airship was still whole and in one-piece, still up in the air, filled with people who were alive, talking, laughing, and certainly not in pieces or lying on the pool of their own blood…

The airship – or what was left of it – was scattered all over the place like shards of glass. Apparently just as sharp, Jaune winced as he caught sight of few formerly alive passengers impaled with the debris, splatters of blood decorating the metal surface. Fire crackled around him, slowly spreading to the surrounding flora, sending pillars of smoke above, thick and thin.

Taking care to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes, he continued his search for any possible signs of other survivors. He even called out a few times, only to be met with silence. Dejected, he lowered himself until his back was against a fallen log, placed a safe distance away from the nearest hazard. Closing his eyes, he steadied his breaths, trying – and failing – to calm the racing thoughts in his head. The dull throbbing pain in his abdomen didn't help either.

It was then he heard it; at first, a very faint noise that was barely audible, but slowly growing louder and clearer.

"Get away from me! Someone, help me please!"

His eyes snapping open, he jumped on his feet, momentarily cringing in pain from sudden movement, before hurriedly making his way toward the source of the cry. It wasn't very far, and as he pushed his way through the bushes he found himself staring at the scene before him, which involved a girl trapped in the wreckage, her head the only part of her that was free. Her eyes were wide open in terror, and Jaune too saw the object of that fear.

A Grimm stood hunching over the trapped girl, its tail swinging back and forth. Saliva dripped through the gaps in its fangs, its blood-red eyes trained on its helpless victim. As Jaune gasped, the Grimm, sensing the presence of another, trained its demonic gaze on the teen.

Having never seen the Grimm save for on the pages of books, staring at one in flesh froze him in fear, his eyes locked on to that of the Grimm. The lean, muscular physique, hook-like claws sharp enough to tear him to shreds, and the jagged fangs that lined its jaw, it awoke one powerful instinct in his being.

Self-preservation.

Before he could process his actions, his legs swiftly carried him away from the abomination, silent screams pouring out of his mouth. Jaune Arc ran and ran, the girl's desperate cries pursuing him before it died down to nothing.

He didn't know how far he ran. When he tripped over tree roots that snaked the ground, he picked himself up, only to continue running. Only when his lungs were aching for oxygen did he stop, tentatively turning to look behind him to see if the thing was hot on his trail. It wasn't. He sighed in relief, though that was soon replaced with guilt that ate through him. Guilt, shame, and disgust.

 **"Coward..."** A voice whispered.

Panicking, Jaune looked up. "W-who's there?"

 **"Weakling..."**

"WHO'S THERE!" Jaune yelled.

The disembodied voice cackled, the sound carried in the wind, swirling around him. **"Too weak... your fault..."**

"W-what was I supposed to do? There was no way I could've fought something like that! It's not my fault!" Jaune yelled hysterically, eyes darting about as he tried to find the source of the whispers.

 **"Coward... excuses...!"** The voice grew louder, stronger, the disgust and mockery becoming more palpable.

"Leave me alone!" Jaune shouted, falling to his knees. The wind grew stronger, drowning the world around him in its howls. Then, as if flicking on a switch, everything fell silent. The wind, the dark whispers, leaving only his gasps.

Until a voice whispered into his ear.

 **"Pathetic."**

He screamed. With that came down the wall, flood of memories smothering him, suffocating him. Memories that he wasn't proud of, memories that reminded him who he was.

His parents. Siblings. Neighbours. The Voice laughed, and they laughed with it. At him. It twisted his memories, changing them and distorting them until he couldn't tell whether they were true or not. His parents neglecting him, his siblings alienating him. Neighbours whispering behind his back, and the strangers he never met mocking him.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he curled and retreated into himself, trying, in futile, to protect himself in the only way he could. He didn't see the shadows of the trees slowly inching closer towards him, until complete blackness enveloped him.

His eyes snapping open, he realised he could see nothing. Panicking, he tried to shout out, only to find that something was constricting his throat, strangling him. Desperately he clawed his neck, trying to pry off whatever was squeezing his throat, only to find nothing.

Was this what it felt like, to get a visit from the reaper? Flickering consciousness, blood slowly freezing as warmth left the body? Was he going to die here, alone and forgotten by all, as he was choked to death by something that he couldn't see, much less fight off?

With what little breath he had left, he yelled. And as he did, several things happened at once.

Endless white filled his vision, the darkness banished in an instance. The iron-tight grip around his neck faded, and Jaune greedily sucked air in. A distant scream of anger and frustration that was not his own echoed in the distance, before it was silenced, and with it the ghostly laughter and whispers.

Unbeknownst to him, his body glowed faintly, disappearing not a moment later.

Jaune had no recollection of what had just transpired, or how much time has passed. His mind was clear, and for the first time in a long while, the weight that pulled him down grew lighter. He didn't know how or why, but at that moment he felt more... _alive_ than he was before. As if there was still some will left in him yet to continue onward.

The girl's scream drew his attention, and faint hope swelled within him. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and ran back the way he came from, fervently hoping the girl was still alive. Branches whipped past him, leaving thin scratches on his face and body, though he paid no heed to the pain, too driven to rush to the girl's rescue.

Fortunately, the girl was still alive, the wolf-like monstrosity circling around the helpless girl, as if toying with its food before diving in for the kill. Not that Jaune would let that happen.

That paralysing fear surged back up again, though this time Jaune ruthlessly crushed it beneath his foot, and let out a roar as he charged at the Grimm. It wasn't the smartest move on his part, he realised in hindsight, though he was surprised when he managed to catch the Grimm unaware, tackling it to the ground.

The Beowolf lashed out with its claws, intent on prying him off its torso, though Jaune was faster. The legacy of the Arcs glinted in the light, before it pierced the Grimm's heart, ending its life. The Grimm convulsed, before its limbs went limp and fell on its side, unmoving.

Jaune sat up, still straddling the lifeless form of the Beowolf, panting and sweating. His arms shook, and he heard, no, felt, the drumming beat of his blood like a war drum inside him. Wrenching the sword free from the corpse, his legs gave out beneath him, adrenaline levels lowering to optimal levels.

"Hey… you're…"

A small voice called out, and he realised he forgot the girl was still there, trapped in the rubble. He made his way to her side. "A-are you ok?" He asked tentatively, then mentally smacked himself for asking such an asinine question.

"You... you came back." The girl sniffed.

Jaune hung his head in shame. "I-I'm sorry. I just..."

"You came back for me," the girl repeated, shaking her head. "It's okay."

He nodded, though it didn't completely erase the guilt that gnawed at his conscience. Instead, he quickly made his way to her side, and attempted to help the girl free. It took some effort, though eventually he was able to clear away enough debris for the petite girl to wriggle her way out.

As the girl dusted herself, Jaune's eyes widened in recognition. "Hey, wait a sec! You're that girl with the soda, back on the airship!"

The girl smiled. "Yep! Thanks for helping me out! My name's Ruby, by the way. Ruby Rose." She introduced herself, extending a hand covered in soot and dust. Despite her dishevelled appearance and the near-death experience, the smile on her face was bright and genuine.

Jaune Arc couldn't help but smile back. He took her dainty hand with his bigger, gloved one.

"Jaune. Jaune Arc."

* * *

 **A/N: So that's the second chapter done and dusted. I have to say, it's been a while since I've been this into cranking out new chapters since my very first story. Of course, all the support from you readers play a large role in that as well. On that note, thanks to all who favourited/followed this story, as well as those who left me some nice reviews. Totally made my day.**

 **As usual, thanks for reading!**

 ***Updated: 25/04/17 - edited a few bits and pieces there to smooth out the overall flow of this chapter.**


	3. Act 1: Chapter 3

**ACT 1: Distrust**

* * *

"We have to distrust each other. It is our only defense against betrayal."

\- Tennessee Williams

* * *

"Come on, come on… Where'd it go? Come on…"

Ruby murmured in her frantic search for her beloved instrument of death, her eyes jumping from place to place at a pace that should've been impossible for a human. Jaune quirked his brow as the petite girl threw herself in the search, not caring that she was further dirtying herself and accumulating cuts from the jagged pieces of metal and wood in her bouts of frenzy. He jumped in fright as the girl whirled around to face him, signs of moisture welling in her eyes. "Don't just stand there Jaune! Help me find it already!"

"R-right!" Flabbergasted at the girl's sudden change in demeanour, he joined in the effort, scanning for a sign of crimson amongst the palette of green, dull grey, and brown. He willed himself to avoid the stains of blood and gore in his periphery, though his stomach clenched all the same. The stench was starting to get worse, as well. And he wasn't the only one who picked up on it, if the bone-chilling howls carried in the wind was any indication.

"Shit!" That definitely didn't sound good. Re-doubling his efforts, he found a pile and sifted through it like a man possessed, not stopping until he found the red contraption under a severed arm. Grimacing he shook the appendage away, and called out to get Ruby's attention. He wasn't prepared for the cannonball impact that pushed him off his feet.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Ruby hopped in joy, then proceeded to cradle her weapon rather fondly, a sight Jaune found equal parts amusing and disturbing.

They heard the howls again, this time closer, and he shuddered in apprehension. The barks that accompanied the predatory cries only fuelled his sense of urgency to vacate the area, fast. "Hey, Ruby? It's nice that you found your, uh, stuff and all, but shouldn't we be getting out of here? Like now?"

"Pffft. It's just Beowolves, I can handle them easy. Just watch and- Huh?" Ruby pulled a lever, only to see nothing happen. Confused, she repeated the motion, only to come up empty. Panic soon coloured her face, and Jaune instinctively knew it was nothing good.

"It's not working? But why- unless it…? Ah, crap!"

"Ruby? What's wrong? Ruby? Woah hey!" Jaune yelped as she grabbed his hand and pulled him, away from the crash site and away from the approaching Beowolves. They ran until they were confident that they were no longer in danger, for the time being, at least.

"Ruby, what on earth was that about?" Jaune asked after catching his breath. "Not that I was against the idea of running the hell away from those things, mind you."

"Crescent Rose, it's not working!"

"Huh?"

"My weapon – that's Crescent Rose – normally it can shift to a scythe, but…"

Jaune stared, unable to fathom how the weapon in her hand could possibly be a scythe. No matter how he looked at it, it just seemed like a long block of metal with a red gloss finish. Perhaps it was one of those modern variety that was transformable and was as much a machine as it was a weapon.

"But it won't budge. I think the internal locking mechanisms got busted from the crash." Ruby continued, distraught. "It's nothing I can't fix, but I don't have the tools or the materials for it."

 _'And probably not in the best time for weapon maintenance either.'_ Jaune finished in his head. Sense of foreboding crept up in him as the implication hit home. If her weapon was broken, would it fall on him to fend for them both? He, who's never received any formal combat training, stranded in a Grimm-infested territory far from civilisation? Their odds of survival was looking rather grim if it wasn't already, he mused, snorting at the unintentional play of words.

"Luckily for us, I can still shoot things with Crescent Rose." Taking a glance at Jaune's confused expression, she explained, "My sweetheart here is a hybrid of a badass scythe and an equally badass customisable high-impact sniper rifle."

The intellectual "Huh?" conveyed the young Arc's extent of knowledge in weaponry, or lack thereof.

"It's also a gun," Ruby translated in layman's terms. "Made by yours truly." She added, puffing out her chest in pride.

"Wait, you made this thing? How?"

"What do you mean, how? I just drew schematics, got the parts, and put them together! Didn't you make that sword yourself?" Ruby tilted her head in confusion, pointing at the sword sheathed to his side. She was under the impression that all students in combat institutions forged their own weapons to tailor to their own styles, or was it just Signal Academy?

Before Jaune could respond, they were interrupted by a rustling noise not far from where they stood, and a tall bear-like Grimm charged towards them. His shaking hand flew towards the hilt of his blade, ready to draw it out if needed. He soon found that he didn't, as the caped girl dropped down to one knee, the sniper-scythe trained on the onrushing Ursa, and pulled the trigger twice in succession. The first shot was a deterrent as it hit the Ursa's shoulder, the second a killing shot as it punched through the Grimm's skull.

Jaune let out a whistle at how Ruby snapped into action without a moment of hesitation, pulling the trigger as if it was a second nature to her. Shouldering her hybrid weapon, she flashed a victory sign at the taller teen.

"See? Piece of cake!"

For an instant a solemn look flashed across Jaune's face, before it disappeared just as quickly, leaving behind a wide smile. "That was pretty awesome! Where did you learn to shoot like that?"

Ruby didn't pick up on the slight change of countenance. "In Signal Academy. My uncle's a teacher there, and he taught me how to fight." She answered, beaming. "I was a complete garbage before he took me under his wing, and now I'm like hwah-tah!"

Jaune chuckled as the scythe wielder made a series of exaggerated hand chopping motions to demonstrate her 'bad-assery'. This time Ruby did see a glimpse of… _something_ on his face before it disappeared, though she couldn't decipher it.

The sound of movement drew their attention, and Jaune swore he heard something hiss. Alarmed, they looked around to search the source of the noise, only to find nothing. "Maybe we just imagined it."

No sooner had he uttered those words they saw the shadow on the ground flicker before it expanded. With a growing sense of dread they slowly turned to look above, and froze at the sight of a giant blob blocking out the daylight, eight hairy appendages framing its sides. They found their voices as their eyes fell on its eight milky orbs, and screamed in unison as the oversized arachnid clacked its chelicerae at them threateningly.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" Jaune swore as he ran for his life, Ruby easily outrunning him, whether out of endurance or fear, he didn't know, nor did he care. What he did care was the god-awful screeching sound the hairy abomination made as it gave chase, and this was one of the many reasons why he never liked spiders, and why won't the thing just bloody leave them alone?!

Ruby suddenly shot past in a blur, and after putting some distance between the oversized critter and herself dug her heels in the ground, skidding to a halt. She crouched once more and took aim. The Ariadne was gaining distance, getting closer and closer to Jaune, who looked as if he was moments away from hysterically crying. "Ruby! Heeeelp! Get this thing off my back!"

She didn't want to accidentally shoot Jaune. Her hand trembled, messing her aim, and the first shot went wild. With a frustrated growl she steadied her breath and stabilised her grip. The following two hit the mark, and she was awarded with a high-pitched screeches as the spider Grimm faltered. "Jaune! Run!"

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Jaune retorted. "Is it dead? Please tell me it's dead!" He risked a glance over his shoulder, and in doing so veered off the course, running into a tree with a solid thud.

"Jaune!" Ruby dashed to his side, helping him sit up. "You okay?"

Groggily he nodded. Leaning on her for support he stood up, the blurred outline of the world around him regaining their clarity, just in time to see the arachnoid Grimm jumping at them.

Jaune screamed at a pitch that would've called his masculinity into question, though understandably, when a spider the size of a small truck freakin' jumped while clacking its grotesque mandibles, maintaining one's image tended to take a backseat in a very short list of priorities, all relating to not being in the way of a giant spider or even being in the vicinity of one in the first place. This time he pulled Ruby out of her fear-induced stupor and the two continued their flight from the ravenous and thoroughly agitated Grimm.

The forest around them sailed past them as they ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Ruby repeated the tactic once more, with the intent of completely finishing it off by feeding it more lead rounds, though it did little to dissuade the eight-legged horror from its pursuit. Jaune didn't dare to draw his sword and meet the thing head-on.

Instead he prayed for a means to get them out of this predicament. Religious faiths played a very little, if any, role in his upbringing, yet he found that being chased by a human-eating, eight-legged terror provided a good motivation to plead to the deities above.

As if answering his unspoken prayers, salvation came in the form of a river, and Jaune wasted no time in grabbing Ruby and throwing themselves to its waters, narrowly avoiding a wad of poisonous acid the Ariadne spat at Ruby.

The current was fast, buffeting them this way and that, separating them and robbing them of oxygen. Lungs burning, Jaune swam for the surface and broke through it, greedily sucking in air. Wiping his eyes, his eyes fell on the blob of red and black barely visible in the murky water. "Ruby!"

* * *

The torrent of water was suffocating, and Ruby flailed for her life as she felt its constricting grip on her airway tightening, few precious bubbles of oxygen escaping her lips as she screamed. Her eyes were clenched shut, unable to open them under water, and so had no idea where the surface was, or if there even was one. The ice-cold water sapped her of her strength, and she felt her conscience starting to slip through her fingers.

Images of the past flashed before her eyes, the time when she sat in her mother's lap, absently tugging on her white cloak as Summer read out stories of great Hunters and Huntresses of the past and their great deeds, or when she baked Ruby's favourite cookies, much to her delight, and when she waited for her mother to come home from a mission, only for Summer to never turn up.

' _Mom-!'_

Vaguely she felt something grabbing her hand and pulling her up. Instinctively she tightened the grip, and surrendered herself to the force. Her head plunged through the surface and she gasped loudly, swallowing as much air as she possibly could. She felt a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders, and found her face inches away from his, which was etched with concern.

"Ruby! You alright?!"

Ruby coughed, though nodded in affirmation.

"Sorry about that, but it was either this or getting eaten alive, and I'd like to think I made the right decision." Jaune stated. His fingers pointed at the Arachne in the distance, skulking back into the woods once it realised its prey escaped.

"Did it…?"

"Yeah it did! Hahah! Take that you fucker!" Jaune yelled, laughing triumphantly. Feeling the tension being washed away by the current she too joined in the laugh, even mimicking him as he flipped the bird to the general direction of where the arachnoid Grimm was last seen.

"Oh my god, that- that was so close!" Ruby gasped.

"Tell me about it. If I never see one of those again in my life, I can die a happy guy."

Arms linked, the duo swam for the shore, grateful for a moment of reprieve. As Jaune trudged out of the water, he heard Ruby cry out in alarm. "Crescent Rose!"

"Ruby?" Jaune asked. Then he spotted a flash of red in the water, carried away by the current of the river. Without a second thought Ruby dived back into the water.

"Ruby!" Jaune cried out. With a curse Jaune quickly followed, briefly making sure his own weapon was strapped tightly to his side. Soon he caught up to Ruby, who was desperately reaching for her beloved weapon.

"Ruby, be careful!"

"I've got it! I just... just a little further..." Ruby then leapt forward, closing the gap between herself and her Crescent Rose. The look of relief was radiant when Ruby finally got her weapon back. In a matter of seconds that quickly morphed to a blank mask of shock, before Ruby fell out of sight, seemingly into nowhere.

"Ruby!" Jaune cried as he hurried to where she last stood, and came to see what claimed her with his own eyes. Standing precariously over the edge of the waterfall, the current pushed him over the edge, and the gravity did the rest. He saw Ruby ahead, falling silently like a ragged, lifeless doll. Rustling wind and roaring water accompanied him until he reached the oblivion's doorstep, then everything faded to nothing.

* * *

"Hyah!"

Yang shouted as she unloaded her explosive punches on an Ursa Major, the impacts powerful enough to practically juggle the Grimm that was easily twice her size. Ren wasted no time in stepping into the fight and ending it with a swift Aura-infused palm thrust. The Grimm gave a shudder before it joined its fallen brethren on the floor, unmoving.

"Finally! That thing took like forever to die!" Yang groaned as she sat down, wiping away a sheen of sweat that was forming on her brow. A quiet grunt was all she got from the stoic teen as he mirrored her posture, his twin handguns retracting back into his sleeves, now that all the Grimm in the immediate vicinity were decorating the grass beds with their corpses.

Following his example her pneumatic gauntlets folded themselves back to their inactive forms with audible clicks. Reaching for the pouch strapped to her back she checked the contents held within, lightly grimacing as she counted only two strips of kinetic shells left in reserve. Including three more shots in each gauntlets made up to a total of thirty shots. Not a reassuring number, especially in their current situations. Thirty explosive punches, before her offensive capabilities took a big dip. Her punches were powerful enough bare-handed - many opponents she fought in the past could attest to that - but she wasn't confident the same could be said for the Grimm, especially those that were heavily armoured.

She felt a twinge of regret at her liberal use of shells, most expended in the recent fight with the sleuth of Ursai and the leading Major. Neither of the martial artists expected a Major to be a head and shoulder above the lesser Minors in terms of raw power and durability. It took nearly an entire strip's worth of shells to weaken it, and that wasn't counting the many rounds from Ren's dual handguns. In hindsight, she wondered whether it would've been better if they simply sneaked their way past, then immediately shook the thought from her head, fully aware of her lack of finesse for stealth.

The same couldn't be said for her partner however, she mused. His lithe build, agility, and the way he walked – almost soundless, like a falling leaf on grass – all alluded to his aptitude for the covert art. His silent disposition only served to further add to the aura of mystery he exuded, and Yang couldn't decide whether this fascinated or infuriated her. And she would re-visit the issue later, since they were interrupted by the whirring sound of turbine that drew closer and closer until the Bullhead hovered right above them. The tiltjet slowly descended, and the side hatch hissed open, revealing a man both initiates recognised almost immediately.

"How-?" Yang began, gobsmacked.

Adjusting the shaded spectacles by the bridge, Ozpin's piercing gaze fell on the two fighters, who looked away, unable to maintain eye contact with the headmaster. It wasn't just out of embarrassment at being caught while blatantly going against the orders, but also due to the sheer intensity of his gaze, not betraying any hints of emotions.

"'How did we find you?'" Ozpin finished her question for her. "Rather simple, really. When the co-ordinates were uploaded to your scrolls, the data transmission also acted as a homing signal, relaying information about your whereabouts."

"You mean you were keeping tabs on us all?" Yang asked, frowning.

"All to prevent others from pulling stunts like the two of you have." A woman's voice answered sharply from the Bullhead, and with just as much edge in her cold green eyes. Ren and Yang flinched under the frosty glare of the deputy headmistress of Beacon Academy, the latter's anger dissipating into thin air, replaced with a sense of cold dread.

"Now, would the two of you be willing to explain yourselves?" Glynda Goodwitch spoke in a way that sounded more like a demand than a question, and the two wayward initiates gulped before hastily launching into their tales.

* * *

Ruby was thoroughly embarrassed, though it wasn't unwarranted. With her soaked corset and (combat!) skirt draped over a low-hanging tree branch, the only article of clothing left on her person was a modest set of undergarments. Luckily they were black, so she didn't have to worry about them being see-through, and she had her cloak wrapped around her as a cover, but still…

Cautiously she glanced at her only companion in this god-forsaken wasteland. She gained her consciousness first after the fall, largely in part due to her Aura taking the brunt of the impact. Jaune, however, was not as fortunate, and it took her every ounce of her remaining strength to drag the unconscious Arc away from the surprisingly deep plunge pool, laying him on the gravel-filled shore.

That was some time ago, and still he showed no signs of waking up, the steady rise and fall motion of his bare chest the only indication that he was still among the living. She only succeeded in relieving the unconscious teen of his armour and shirt before she gave up, lest she ended up damaging something from blushing too much.

Not wanting to leave Jaune defenceless and out of her sight, she opted to settle down near him, Crescent Rose never far from her reach. She may not be able to fight at her full potential, what with her weapon broken and in dire need of repair, though she still could shoot anything that moved, at least until she ran out of ammo. And with only half a dozen rounds left, that wasn't going to last long.

And when she ran dry, she would be next to useless in a fight, leaving Jaune the sole duty to fend for them both. In other words, they were screwed.

Silence and retrospection, she discovered, proved to be a toxic combination as the resulting product let the demons in her head run free, causing havoc, whispering in her ear that she was going to die in this place, her body never found by her loved ones, how she would be torn to pieces, her remains devoured by the monsters that dwelled in the darkness. Just like what happened to her mother.

She never gave much thought about dying; basked in the safety of her home and the city, there never was a reason to worry about death, and adrenaline-fuelled flight for life left little room for any other thoughts. Now though, left at the mercy of demons only she could hear, the full weight of death as a distinct possibility struck her like lightning, and she felt her breath hitch, her body shivering as cold tendrils of death snaked towards her ever so slowly. Good thing she was fast enough to escape its clutches.

The same couldn't be said for Jaune.

In that instance, in spite of guilt burning in her heart, a stray thought of 'what if' crossed her mind; what if, theoretically, hypothetically speaking, she left Jaune behind? She could outrun any Grimm easily, and if she was careful with her Aura usage, she could last long enough to get to someplace safe, where she could wait for rescue.

 **"Dead weight... Will slow you down..."**

Ruby bolted to her feet, Crescent Rose in hand. "W-who's there?"

 **"Leave him... Useless..."**

"I-I don't know who you are, or what you're saying, but I'm not leaving him!" Ruby said with a defiant edge.

 **"Alone, will live... Stay, will die..."**

Much to her horror, she couldn't believe she was actually contemplating the idea. Furiously she shook her head. "That's not true! We saved each other, we're both getting out of here, together!"

 **"Left you... Ran away... Coward..."**

"But he came back. He did save me." Ruby whispered to herself. She couldn't completely disagree, however; she hasn't forgotten how Jaune had left her to die at first, no matter how much she screamed. She wasn't one to hold grudges, but... what if? What if he _didn't_ come back for her, what then? She could've, _would've_ died, then.

 **"Foolish..."** The Voice laughed. The torrential hum of the waterfall couldn't drown out the formless whisper's cruel laughter.

 **"Leave him... Leave him... Leave him..."**

"I-I won't. He needs me, I can't leave him."

 **"Left you once... Can leave you again..."**

"No, stop! No more, no more!" Ruby shrieked, covering her ears.

 **"Leave him... Leave him... LEAVE HIM!"**

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Ruby yelled. Clutching her head, her Semblance activated and carried her away from the river, away from Jaune, into the wilderness. Ephemeral rose petals gently fluttered down, before withering out of existence.

When Jaune opened his eyes, he was alone.

* * *

 **A/N: I hate, hate spiders. Too many legs, too many eyes, too much hair.**

 **My thanks to all who read/faved/followed this humble story of mine, especially to the fellow fanfic writer who left me a nice, long, and detailed review. I think I already said all I wanted, so I won't go over it again. Unless someone else brings up those points again.**

 **A bit more storytelling from Ruby's perspective in this chapter. Her being handicapped in this chapter was very much intentional, since I wanted to point out that even prodigies like Ruby can have their moments of weakness and vulnerability. It's the same in canon as well, since she's almost useless in a fight when disarmed. Maybe this will be rectified in later episodes or maybe it won't. Either way, it was a fun albeit challenging chapter to write.**

 **As usual, thanks for reading!**

 ***Updated: 26/04/17**


	4. Act 1: Chapter 4

**ACT 1: Survival**

* * *

"Survival can be summed up in three words - never give up."

\- Bear Grylls

* * *

Loneliness, he mused, was something he thought he was accustomed to, though he never truly felt so alone in his life as he did now, surrounded by the woods with the waterfall, a scene that would've otherwise been a picturesque setting, though now it all just felt cold, distant.

When he woke up to find Ruby gone, he didn't automatically jump to a conclusion, figuring that she had left in search for food and the likes. Despite the lurking threats concealed within the blankets of shadows, the vibrant emerald hues that stretched over the horizon whispered promises of life and products of nature in abundance. He expected the red-clad girl to appear at any moment, with an armful of mouth-watering fruits or even a wild game or few.

That seemed like a long time ago. How long has he been waiting, minutes? Hours? As if indifferent to his growing apprehension, the forest remained silent, with no flickers of crimson visible between its sylvan veils. His gut twisted as realisation dawned on him then.

He was alone.

He collapsed on his back, choking back a sob. Part of him raged at the betrayal; how could she leave him like this? Leave him to die? After all they've gone through together? "Why?" he whispered the last part, a lone tear trailing down his closed eyes.

' _You left her first, remember?'_

His eyes snapped open in shock, then realised that was the truth. Too late, he realised this was how Ruby must've felt when he ran out on her, back when she was trapped and moments away from being devoured. What would've happened if he didn't come back for her? Could Ruby Rose, the self-proclaimed 'badass' have found a way to save herself? Or could the tale of Ruby Rose, the fifteen year-old girl have reached its final chapter, with only her name left for her family to mourn, her body never to be found?

He didn't save her; all this time, if it wasn't for Ruby, he would have perished long ago. It was her who saved him, not the other way around. He supposed he should've been thankful that Ruby stuck with him for so long, at least long enough for him to at least do some good before he died.

' _Heck, maybe it's better off this way. She'd have a better chance of surviving this alone, without me to-'_ his throat was dry as he admitted to himself, _'-to drag her down.'_

It was probably the more logical option; she had the strange ability of inhuman speed, so outrunning any Grimm wouldn't be a difficult task. If he was with her though, she'd be in greater danger, unable to abandon her for her own life, not like he has done before. This way, at least one of them would have a shot at surviving, right? If that was the case, better her than him, better someone who was more useful, more wanted. That's how it had to be done, right?

He smacked his arm on his eyes, stinging with unshed tears. That didn't make it any less painful, though.

He barely made a sound, and even if he did, the deafening roar of the waterfall would've drowned it, along with his ragged and sharp breaths as sobs wracked through his body.

Jaune felt his arm lower as something tugged on it, and through his tear-blotted eyes he saw Ruby, a watery smile adorning her innocent features.

"I thought boys weren't supposed cry." Ruby pointed out with a weak laugh.

Jaune didn't waste a second as he threw his arms around her frame, crying without restraint. "St-stop crying, dummy! You're… making _me_ cry now too…! Stupid Jaune…" Her lips quivering, she returned his desperate embrace, and felt her own emotions running loose.

* * *

"I'm sorry."

Jaune turned sideways to glance at Ruby, watching her absentmindedly throwing pebbles in the river. Her eyes were glued to her feet, refusing to meet his eyes as he shifted closer to where she sat. Her first thought was to lie; to tell him that she only left for a walk to clear her head. To scout ahead. To look for food. Something, anything, but the truth. And yet…

She winced as she braced for his reaction. Admitting that she nearly abandoned him didn't exactly wipe away the guilt she felt, and nothing justified her actions, even if he himself had committed such an atrocious act first.

"I'm sorry, too." Jaune spoke quietly beside her, and this time she looked up in surprise. His face was a grimacing mask of pain, and with a deep breath he continued. "I… I almost left you for dead that time, when you couldn't even defend yourself. You almost died, only because I was too much of a wuss to do what anyone with a spine would've done."

She wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her hands. "But you came back." She commented almost shyly.

He smiled. "So did you."

Neither spoke, enshrouded in silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. Eventually, Jaune spoke up again. "I never apologised until now, and I didn't even tell you how grateful I am that you stuck with someone like me for so long. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have lived past the first Grimm I ran into. So thanks, Ruby."

With a grin Ruby lightly punched him on the shoulder. "The things I do for you, Jaune." With a shake of her head she added in a sincere tone, "But you're welcome. And… thanks, for, you know, coming back for me, too."

* * *

"Oww…"

Jaune groaned, his hand hovering over his middle. Noticing this, Ruby drew closer. "Jaune! You okay?"

As he nodded, she found herself asking, "Why isn't your Aura healing you yet? Shouldn't it have kicked in by now?" She scanned his body up and down, looking for the characteristic enveloping glow of Aura.

Squirming under her rather unabashed stare, he stammered a response, "I, uh…"

"Jaune?" Her tone light with a touch of hesitation she asked, "Do you… know what Aura is?"

"Pffft, yeah, of course! It's, well, Aura is…" Jaune went as stiff as a board, before he slumped over, "…Actually, I don't."

Ruby regarded him with a curious look. How could he not know what Aura was? Usually the knowledge of Aura – and its subsequent activation – usually accompanied the initiation of combat training of prospective Hunters and Huntresses as a rite of sort. Upon breaking the innate seal, Aura took on a physical manifestation that formed into a Symbol that represented the person as a whole. The silver rose emblem she carried on her belt wasn't for decoration.

Jaune carried nothing of the sort, no distinctive mark or symbol on his person or his equipment. No glow of Aura, and his lack of knowledge of it implied his lack of formal training in the arts of combat. His lacklustre swordsmanship only reinforced the implication.

"Jaune? Can I ask you something?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Have you, you know, ever been taught how to fight? Like, real, professional training?"

His mouth opened and closed, whatever answer he had dying before it even left his lips. He settled for a weary sigh, his face flashing with a myriad of emotions, none of them good. "No."

"But that sword-"

"It's not mine, it's… never mind."

Ruby pursed her lips, but chose not to pry. She knew everyone had their own personal matters, and that very few were comfortable voicing them in the presence of others. As the creases in his face relaxed visibly in relief, she knew she made the right choice.

But when it soon contorted to a pained expression, Ruby decided to intervene. "Hey, Jaune?"

"Yeah?" He groaned in pain.

"Would you… like me to unlock your Aura?"

"Huh?"

"Aura, well, it does a lot of things, like healing any injuries. Usually people get theirs activated when they begin their training to familiarise themselves with their innate powers, at least that's what my uncle said-"

"Ruby." Jaune cut in.

"R-right, sorry! So! Basically, if I unlock your Aura, your injuries can heal, and you'll be as good as new! Simple!"

"That sounds really good right now. Can you do it? Please?" Jaune asked with a hint of desperation.

"Sure! Now, close your eyes!" Jaune complied, and heard the shuffling of clothes until he felt her breaths tingling his face. Startled, he opened his eyes to see Ruby's face mere inches from his. "R-Ruby!"

"Jaune, keep your eyes closed!" Ruby instructed, ignoring his reddened face and weak protests. With that she leaned closer until her brow touched his, and opened her mouth to repeat the incantation, only to close it as her memory failed her.

' _Uh, how did it go, again? Something about virtue and immortality? Or was it something else? Ah, shoot…'_

"Ruby? How's it going? You done?" Jaune asked, and Ruby drew back, prompting him to open his eyes. They first darted to the cut in his midsection, only to falter when he observed no noticeable change.

"Jaune, I-" Her throat suddenly went dry as she continued, "I'm sorry. I totally forgot how it was worded, and… sorry."

"Oh." Was his flat response. She hung her head, her heart sinking as she picked up on the subtle grunt of pain escaping his lips. She felt terrible, getting his hopes up and then giving him nothing but disappointment.

"Hey." Jaune spoke softly, his expression just as gentle. Ruby raised her head, her sight blurry with tears. "Hey, it's alright. You tried at least, right?"

"I… yeah, but…"

"It's alright." He repeated. "I'm still alive, see? We just have to wait until we get rescued, right? Besides, I'm too stubborn to die." Jaune added, puffing his chest in mock pride.

Ruby snorted as she rubbed her eyes. "You better not. You can't die until I'm the one who activate your Aura, and that's a promise! You got that?"

Jaune smiled, extending his little finger. "Promise." Ruby mirrored his expression as she curled her pinky around his, sealing the deal.

* * *

"Hey, Ruby?"

"Hmm?" Ruby looked up from her handiwork, a bundle of wooden sticks in her arms.

"You said you were offered a place in Beacon, right?"

"Yep yep! It's a long story, but I ended up running into the headmaster guy, and after we had a bit of talk he gave me an invitation. But uh, I kind of… overslept, missed the airship on the scheduled date, and had to wait another day to take the next one, and… well, here we are."

Jaune chuckled as he whittled down logs of wood into strips. Using the Arc heirloom for such menial task seemed rather… unorthodox, to put it politely, but he couldn't deny the versatility of the fabled sword. Sometimes it helped having sharp edges that never dulled.

It also helped that Ruby had her ability of insane speed. Or was it her enthusiasm? Either way, she was already done laying out the wooden sticks and blocks in a large 'S' formation, and halfway through completing the letter 'O'. The clearing had an unobstructed aerial view, and the grey of the gravel shore and the greenery of the tall grass provided an ideal canvas for painting the rescue signal with limbs of the surrounding flora. Per his suggestion, he supplied her with the sticks and lumps of wood, and Ruby laid them in agreed form. The only glaring flaw in his suggestion of inscribing distress signal on the ground was that it was all a moot point if there were no rescue ships in the air to even notice the sign, but it was better for his mentality to at least remain hopeful. He considered setting up a campfire and use smoke signal, though chose not to, not wanting to take the risks of attracting unwanted attention of the fauna.

Soon they were done, and both were comfortably sitting on a log of wood. Their still-damp clothes were clinging rather uncomfortably like second skin, though they silently agreed it was better with those on than off.

"Say, Ruby?" Jaune spoke some time later.

"Hmm?"

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you want to become a Huntress?"

Ruby smiled sheepishly as she answered, "When I was little, my mom, and later my sister used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters, how they fought to protect people from the monsters."

"Protecting people, huh…" Jaune mumbled, blankly staring at his feet.

Ruby nodded. "Yep. I wanted to be just like those heroes, to protect those who couldn't fight for themselves, to stand up for what was right rather than what was easy." The level of maturity and the sincerity in her voice took him by surprise, given her rather outgoing personality. Though her dream was rather naïve and innocent, it by no means was any less meaningful than what others fought for; protection, safety, peace.

He squeezed his eyes shut, his head hanging low. All of a sudden he felt ashamed of his dishonest attempts of taking the easy way to achieve a rather selfish goal, whereas the girl next to him made so much effort, all for a noble, selfless cause. The embers of his guilt hissed back to life, threatening to burn him from within.

"What about you, Jaune?" He heard Ruby asking. "What do you want to do?"

How about not being a failure? "I… don't know." Was his hesitant reply. "I-I wanted, or I thought I wanted to be a Hunter, but…"

"But?"

"I… I don't think I'm suited for it. I'm not, you know, good at fighting."

"That's fine, I can help train you! If I asked, my sister would, too! And, and my uncle!"

"Ruby," Jaune rubbed his eyes, "It won't work."

"You won't know if you don't try-"

She was cut off by a dull thud of Jaune's fist striking the log they used as seats. More unsettling was the worn and bitter expression of a young man who was on the verge of giving up. Like nothing mattered anymore, not enough to care anymore.

Ruby was lost for words, something she vaguely realised was a common occurrence in the young Arc's presence. She could only watch as Jaune's ragged breaths gradually faded to quiet hums. "Sorry," he rasped, "It's just that… it just doesn't work like that, Ruby. Not for me."

"What do you mean?" Her voice was quiet, delicate.

"It means that I'm not meant to be here." He cryptically replied.

Before she could ask him to elaborate, he continued, "You, all those students, all those Hunters and Huntresses, you're all so talented, so skilled, that nothing is impossible if you work at it. I mean, you've seen those initiates! They wiped the floor with the kind of monsters that normal people would piss themselves in fear if they ever ran into one, and didn't even look like they were trying! And you!" He was on his feet as he turned to face her, his finger pointed like a spear aimed at her heart. "You're, what, fifteen? And already you're invited to join Beacon, two whole years younger than the rest of the students! I mean, what the hell!"

"Jaune, what are you-?"

He sagged back on the log, "And you know what? You all got where you are because you worked for it. I can't, I can't even bring myself to spite you all for that."

"Jaune…" She didn't know how to react to his outburst, how to comfort him, to help him. He was clearly hurting, though exactly why she didn't know. She could hazard a guess as to what pained him, enough to drive him like this, but she didn't want to assume.

"Shit, what the hell's wrong with me…" Jaune cursed, planting his head in his hand. His eyes were dry, having already emptied its reserves earlier, and he was tired of tearing up. "Sorry, I don't know why I… sorry."

"Jaune, please, tell me." Ruby spoke, her voice full of concern. She couldn't empathise with him, but that wouldn't stop her from trying.

"It's not something I can just _say_." Jaune shook his head. "I can't." _'You probably won't be able to understand anyway.'_

"So you're just going to keep it bottled in?" Ruby jabbed more forcefully than she intended. "You can't tell me, or you won't?"

"It's my problem Ruby, not yours." Came the curt response.

With a genuine look of hurt, she crossed her arm and turned her back to him. _'I was only trying to help! Fine, see if I care!'_ She hated how people never told her anything, as if they thought she wasn't old enough, _mature_ enough to be privy to their innermost concerns, as if there was no point in confiding with someone who was too socially inept to understand others. She hated how it made her tear up like a petulant child throwing a tantrum, and she hated that small nagging thought in the back of her mind that said maybe, just maybe, they were all right, that she was too young, too immature to bloody understand…

"Ruby?" His voice was cautious, remorseful.

"What." She replied coldly, sniffing.

Jaune sighed, "I just… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I mean, I wasn't trying to-"

"Just say it, Jaune."

"I didn't mean to lash out at you like that. It wasn't you, it's just I'm, gah!" He ruffled his hair in frustration. "Sorry, this is pretty hard. I never had this kind of talk with anyone before, so I'm kinda having trouble how to say it."

Ruby said nothing. Taking this as her sign to continue, Jaune picked up from where he left. "Like I said earlier, you already know I'm pretty rubbish at fighting. I had zero talent as a kid, and everyone knew it; my parents, my sisters, other people in the town, everyone except me."

He barked a harsh laughter. "Back then, I thought all I had to do was try my best. Even when everyone said I would fail, I refused to acknowledge it, and only focused on trying my best. I thought that was what really mattered, and that _someone_ would notice me." He snorted. "What a load of tripe."

"Turns out, life didn't work out that way. I must've applied to pretty much all the combat institutions around Remnant. I don't know how many trials I attended, but I do know how they all ended." He still remembered those days when he anxiously paced around his room, waiting for the posts to arrive, the big red 'REJECTED' stamped on those papers glaring at him. Those were the more courteous replies; some academies didn't even bother letting him know that he failed.

"Hell, Beacon was literally my last stop. By that point, I couldn't care less how it ended, since I pretty much knew I wasn't going to get in, but… I dunno, I suppose part of me still hoped. Maybe I wasn't thinking straight, I don't know." He dug into his hooded coat's pocket, withdrawing a crumpled mess of paper. He was mildly surprised to see it was still in one piece, albeit with all the ink washed off, leaving behind a rag-like litter. Kind of like him, he mused.

It soon separated in two, then four, then into shreds as Jaune tore into it, before letting the wind carry away the pieces. Ruby watched him with wide eyes, though remained silent.

"I'm tired, Ruby. Tired of trying, tired of failing. Tired of telling myself that next time will be different. I just wanted to live my dream, you know?"

"You still can, Jaune. You never know what the future will be like, right?" Ruby quietly encouraged him.

His smile was a sad one. "I think I have a good idea how it will end for me, Ruby." He wasn't sure if she picked up on the second implied meaning behind his statement. He himself wasn't sure, either. Still, if only one of them could get out of this mess alive, well, the answer was obvious. Remnant needed Ruby Rose more than it needed Jaune Arc, after all.

Her anger abated, she drew him close for an embrace, one he returned. No tears were spilled, at least on Jaune's end. Ruby proved otherwise, and he found himself comforting her as much as she him. They stayed like that, until they separated, and even then their arms stayed linked.

* * *

"A bakery? Seriously?"

Jaune chuckled good-naturedly. "Or a restaurant. If you spend enough time part-timing in a kitchen, you end up picking up a few tricks."

"So does this mean you can bake pies? Strawberry ones?" Ruby asked, her mouth watering at the thought of steamy delicacies.

"Hmm, yep."

"…How about cookies?" She ventured, almost leaning forward.

With a laugh he patted her hair, earning a pout. "We'll see."

Ruby squealed in delight. "YES!"

"You better pay up though. No freebies."

"Aww…"

Jaune poked her in the ribs. "It's business. Unless you bring in lien, you'll probably eat my establishment to bankruptcy."

"Har har." With a roll of her silver eyes she punched his shoulder. "Wait, you calling me fat?"

"Me?" Feigning a hurt look he crossed his hands over his heart dramatically. "Of course not! You're as thin as a, uh, those stick branches and um…"

"You're terrible at this, you know?"

"Poetry never really interested me back in school." He replied sagely.

She nodded in understanding. "Me neither. And maths. And science. And history. And languages. And-"

"Clearly you weren't a model student." He pointed out.

"No kidding. I forgot how many detentions I got for sleeping in class."

Jaune laughed. "Same! This one time…"

They talked and talked, about nothing and everything, until the low orange glow of the setting sun enveloped them. They relocated from their places on the logs to the grass beds nearby, lying side by side.

"Guess no one's coming for us, huh?" said Jaune, staring at the empty sky. He hoped to hear the faint hum of gyrating rotor somewhere above, though no sound of salvation came. And the daylight grew short as fall season approached, made even shorter in mountainous parts of Remnant. Even with fire, the light would be easily smothered by the darkness cast by the uneven terrains or the prowling Grimm.

"They will, we just need to wait." Ruby remained optimistic, or was it just her valiant attempt to reassure herself as much as she was trying to reassure him?

He didn't have it in himself to rob her of her hope. He didn't have the heart of voicing how they were quite far from the crash site, or even where they currently were, or if the rescuers were even aware that there were at least two survivors, or if they simply declared everyone dead and didn't even bother sending out a searching party to scour for any signs of stranded survivors.

Instead he quietly agreed. "Yeah."

Night fell, and sleep didn't come easily for the two stranded.

In the end they agreed to get the fire going. Ruby didn't deal well with cold, and he reasoned to himself that between being eaten by Grimm or freezing to death- Actually, they'd probably freeze first, then served up as frozen treats for Grimm, or vice versa. At least with fire, they'd be warm before meeting their demise.

As the small fire cheerfully licked the firewood, Ruby sighed in content as she moved closer to its warmth, and even uplifted his own mood. That was before a harsh gale blew, choking the life out of the flickering flame until it faded to nothingness, leaving behind a soulful wisp.

His mood souring, he stood up and made his way toward the river, carefully bending down with cupped hands. The water was cold but refreshing, something he needed to wet his dry throat. Shaking his hand dry, he stood up and turned to leave, when something stirred in the corner of his eyes.

Rubbing his eyes, he peered the dark torrent, pale sheen of moonlight casting a rather eerie glow on the flowing body of water. And beneath the depths, he could barely make out something that moved. Something that wasn't a simple fish or a drifting seaweed. Something with two glowing red orbs.

Jaune was yelling and running when the thing crashed upward through the surface, its black scaly hide glistening with water. Snapping its long jaw lined with jagged fangs, the crocodile Grimm crawled after its prey.

"Ruby RUBY! Get up!" He shook her frantically, yanking her to her feet when the predator was closing in. The sight of a huge jaw with rows of chainsaw-like teeth quickly shattered her sleepy haze, and the two found themselves on the run, again.

At least, that was the ideal plan, when the petite girl tripped over one of the many rocks that jutted out of the muddy ground. She cried out in pain as she scraped her knee and palms, her crimson Aura slowly pulsing as it worked its restorative properties on her injuries.

Then the Sobek was nearly upon them, its monstrous jaw wide open. It would've clamped around the fallen girl like a living iron maiden, were it not for Jaune to step in, his shield snapping open.

"Woah! Holy shit!" He had no idea how it happened; one moment he was helping Ruby on her feet, the next he was standing with his shield open, wedged between its pincer-like jaws. Few of its outer teeth sunk into his arm, and he cried out as pain lanced through his shield arm. His sword in his main hand, he attempted to stab the reptile in the snout, though his attempt was halted in mid-swing when he was lifted off the ground, then shaken sideways as the Grimm tried to shake him off. Thrown like a ragdoll, he yelped when the Sobek barrelled down on him, identifying him as the main threat.

The loud crack of Ruby's Crescent Rose provided a welcoming distraction, punching a hole through its side. Thrashing in pain and anger, the reptilian Grimm changed course and instead charged at Ruby. With a calculated move she activated her Semblance, sidestepping its rushing attack before unloading two more rounds. Even though it was dark, it was impossible to miss at a point-blank range. The Sobek let out a guttural cry, and violently thrashed about, the tail whipping Ruby and sending her flying.

"Ruby!" Dragging himself back on his feet he made his way towards the girl. Fortunately she was only winded, having blocked the brunt of the strike with her sniper-scythe.

"I'm fine!" She insisted, though didn't resist when Jaune helped her up. "How about your arm?"

"I'll live!" He lied. It hurt like hell, but it wasn't like admitting it would change a thing. "What about the Grimm?!"

Wordlessly she pointed at the twitching form of the reptilian Grimm, before it collapsed and laid still. Cautiously he prodded the unmoving Sobek with the tip of his sword, and let out a sigh when it didn't move. "Good, it's dea-"

There was a colossal explosion of water from the river, and their eyes turned to see yet another Sobek, only it was much, much bigger than the first. It hauled itself from the pool like a thing from a nightmare, and with its trunk-like forelimbs it propelled itself forward, hissing and growling in outrage at the sight of its fallen young slowly disintegrating into nothingness. When it cracked open its hellish maw, neither needed any further prompt.

Ruby realised one thing; when carrying a passenger, her Semblance speed was drastically reduced to a mere fraction of her maximum velocity. And Jaune wasn't exactly a lightweight to begin with, either. The fact that it was almost pitch black meant she had to take extra care not to ram them into a tree, a hindrance that didn't quite apply to their pursuer, as the mature Sobek simply ploughed its way through the columns of trees with its powerful limbs.

"C'mon Ruby, faster! It's getting closer!"

"I'm trying!"

They could barely see their own feet, let alone their surroundings. There was a loud thud and the ground shook behind them, and the Sobek's growling was soon joined by a loud roar. A quick backward glance showed a shadowy outline of the giant reptile Grimm being accosted by a burly creature that stood tall. With their immediate hunter distracted, they continued to run deeper into the murky depths of the Emerald Forest, until the giants' skirmishes were reduced to a distant echo.

They came to a halt to catch their breaths, their heart racing from yet another close escape from death's clutches. "How you holding up, Jaune?" She asked, wiping sweat from her brow.

There was a long pause before he wheezed, "I'm fine." His racking cough sent alarm bells ringing in her head, then into a full blaring siren when she felt blood seeping through her fingers after touching his arm. "Jaune!"

"I'm getting kinda… sleepy…" His entire arm was sticky and wet with his blood, and his torso was also damp.

"Jaune, stay with me! You're _not_ leaving me!" Ruby slapped his face, her voice in near hysterics. "I promised to unlock your Aura, and you promised you'd still be around when I did! Wake up, Jaune! WAKE UP!"

"Ruby… just… go…" He croaked, his hand weakly pushing her back. She took his hand in his, furiously shaking her head. "Shut up! We're both going to get through this alive, so just shut up!" Without a second thought she unfastened her red cloak and wrapped it around his arm as a makeshift bandage. She was fast running out of options, and things looked bleak. But she refused to leave Jaune behind to die.

As if summoned by death itself, another Grimm made its appearance from the darkness, and when the clouds parted to unveil the Remnant's fractured moon, its pale light shone on the being, revealing the tall wall of thick muscle and aggressive instincts. Like many of its kind, the giant ape sported two angrily burning orbs on its head, with a pair of fangs that curved outward like tusks. The Hanuman, as it was called, beat its muscular chest with its large hands that looked powerful enough to just crush them with ease.

Ruby wasn't going to make it easy, however. Her beloved roared once, twice, thrice, before it breathed empty clicks.

And the simian Grimm still stood strong, leering down at its helpless prey as it raised its fists over the head, intending to crush them like a hammer to a nail.

Crescent Rose made no sound as it slipped through her fingers and hit the ground, its wielder wrapping her arms around the silent form of Jaune Arc. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the inevitable.

When the Hanuman roared yet no pain came, she opened her eyes just in time to see a halo of golden fire, its light touching the vegetation before it spread, setting the world on fire.

She felt her strength leaving her body, and she sank to the waiting arms of the earth, welcoming the darkness that claimed her.

* * *

 **A/N: This is the final chapter of the stranded arc. For reasons I can't fathom this chapter turned out a bit more emotional than what I intended, though the alternative was too... detached? It'd make even less sense if they both just acted as if it was another usual day, but meh.**

 **OOC-ness asides, let me know what you guys think about this chapter. I'm not really a mushy-emotional-stuff person, so maybe it might not feel as realistic as I imagined. I guess I'd have a clearer idea about how Jaune and Ruby's interaction goes if I ever found myself in that situation, but... no.**

 **As usual, thanks for reading!**


	5. Act 1: Chapter 5

**ACT 1: Interlunium**

* * *

"All great beginnings start in the dark, when the moon greets you to a new day at midnight."

\- Shannon L. Alder

* * *

"Have you checked up on her yet?"

Qrow Branwen didn't look pleased, though it was quite an improvement from the murderous countenance he wore earlier, when he heard both 'Ruby' and 'accident' uttered in the same sentence. Ozpin patiently waited with his usual impassive mien, unfazed by the man's stony gaze. Glynda shifted uncomfortably, though tried hard not to show it. While otherwise a rather unsophisticated and ill-mannered individual with a crass attitude and a mouth equally foul, when his buttons were pushed, Qrow Branwen was not a person to be trifled with. Having his (arguably) favourite niece put in jeopardy certainly qualified as something that stoked the fire in him.

"Yes, I did." He hissed through his gritted teeth. "She's fine, no thanks to you."

With a cold look and a matching tone, Ozpin shot back, "The council has already given me a plenty of grief for the incident. I have no wish to deal with yours, so save it."

The glares sharpened, and the two powerful men locked their eyes, neither backing down. Eventually Ozpin was the first to relent with a weary sigh, "Believe me, I am sorry your niece had to go through such traumatic experience, but we played no part in her ordeals. We will do what we can to help her, of that you can be certain of."

Tension left Qrow, and he slumped back in his seat with a worn expression. "My bad, didn't mean to take it out on you. It's just, my… _niece_ was down there, and almost got killed. That's… that's just…"

"…I understand."

' _Do you really?'_ Qrow nodded, ruffling his hair in frustration. Jumping down the Beacon headmaster's throat would do no more than momentarily satiating his anger.

"If you two are done," Glynda interjected, "Perhaps you'd like to fill us in with what you've found?"

With a frown Qrow drew a bundle of paper from his sack, and slid it across the table. "You know the Council and their damned paperwork. Old farts can't even open a damn scroll even if a manual fell on their heads." He added, leaning back on his chair, ignoring Glynda's look of disapproval.

Ozpin merely chuckled, flipping through the report with unreadable eyes. It was a formality more than anything – he was already briefed, rather vocally, for that matter – from the Valean senators who weren't hesitant about voicing their disdain with a not-so subtle jab or few about his supposed 'incompetency'.

He felt a twinge of sadness as he remembered the funeral process that took place not many hours ago. While it wasn't uncommon for prospective students to perish during the dangerous Initiation procedure, it didn't make their loss any less painful, for the families and friends of the deceased, as well as him as the headmaster. The decision to assign fourth-years and a few competent third-years as supervisors during the Initiation had been called into practice after a particular instance where nearly half of the initiates lost their lives due to unforeseen Grimm outbreak, and since then the number of casualties were kept to a single digit, sometimes none at all.

But as they say, one could not plan for everything. Even with the countermeasures, eight initiates failed to report to the extraction points, with only two of them recovered, currently sequestered in the infirmary with Qrow's youngest niece. Four bodies were recovered and returned to their respective kin with two more being declared MIA. None were too hopeful about their chances, though.

All in all, it has been a rather trying day, more so than usual. Even his deputy seemed to be affected by it all, with the occasional signs of stress slipping through the stoic mask she donned on in public.

"How goes the investigation?" Ozpin asked.

"Those guys from the Investigation department sifted through the wreckage, but apparently they didn't find anything useful." Qrow answered. "At least, they said they were probably sure they didn't find anything before they had to hightail it out of there before the Grimm flooded in."

"And you're not convinced." It wasn't a question.

"Airships don't just explode, not without a good reason anyway." Qrow reasoned.

Ozpin had a hunch as to where this was going. "You speak of the White Fang."

Glynda placed her hands on her hips. "What makes you think they are responsible for this? For all we know it could've very well been a result of improper maintenance or engine failure."

Qrow frowned. "Perhaps, but it's rather unlikely. Engineers double- no, triple check everything before airships lift off. It'd be almost impossible to chalk it off as spontaneous mechanical failure."

"The White Fang has been silent for a long time, you told us that yourself." Glynda pointed out.

"I said they've been quiet, not completely gone." The ashen-haired man argued back. "We may have tracked down their base of operations across Remnant, but I know for certain that a small number of them slipped past our fingers. They're damn good at that, bastards."

Ozpin simply watched as the two volleyed back and forth in mirth, something that didn't go by unnoticed by the two. "And you? What's your stand in all this?"

"I stand for the facts, something which is scarce as of this moment." He took a sip from his mug, hiding his smile as they shot him annoyed looks.

"Fine, so unless you've got anything else you want to add, I'm outta here. I'm going to track down a couple informants, see if they know what the government doesn't or 'forgot' to mention. Take care of Ruby for me, yeah?"

"Of course. You'll keep us notified?"

Qrow waved his hand lazily before the office door clicked shut behind him.

The witch shook her head. "Hasn't changed much, has he?"

"Perhaps, though I wouldn't necessarily consider it a bad thing. After all, it would take an extraordinary person to raise the young Ruby Rose the way she is now."

"It still puzzles me as to why you chose to accept that young girl into the Academy. She may be a prodigy to an extent, but talent alone is not a good enough qualification to merit an entry to Beacon, not to mention her age. Surely you're aware of this? And Qrow, I didn't expect him to agree so easily."

"He only wants what's best for her, as a family should. As for my decision regarding her enrolment, let's just call it… an intuition."

Glynda huffed, "And the other survivor? What are your plans with him? He's an Arc, isn't he?"

"He is, though I was not aware his name was on the list." Neither would've missed the application that was written by an Arc, considering a few of them graced the halls of Beacon in the past years. They weren't aware that there was a male heir among the line of sisters, nor that he was of age to apply for Beacon, if his qualifications met the Beacon admission quota.

Therein lied the problem, however. "I've been digging around, and, well…" Glynda cleared her throat, unsure how to continue, "He hasn't received any formal training or education from combat institutions, and if he was home-schooled, it certainly wasn't mentioned anywhere." And yet he was one of the only two survivors of the crash, presumably on his way to Beacon. With a weapon. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

Before Ozpin could respond, sharp raps from the ornate door preceded the high-pitched squawk, before the door was thrown open. A woman strode in, ignoring the cries of protest from the smartly dressed woman. "Headmaster, I told her to stop, that she needed an appointment to see you since you were busy-"

"Headmaster Ozpin, it's been a while." The woman said, tuning out the frowning receptionist.

Nodding at the woman, Ozpin turned to the receptionist. "It's fine, I forgot to put her name on the schedule. You may leave now."

"Of course, headmaster." With a bow and a parting glare at the rude woman, the receptionist slipped through the door. Said woman claimed the seat across Ozpin despite not being offered one. Glynda clucked her tongue, shaking her head at the blatant display of lack of etiquette, not unlike the previous visitor.

"So, I wasn't aware you'd be dropping by, and on such short notice, as well." Ozpin began.

"I needed to talk to you."

The headmaster raised his brow. "I was under the assumption the message was intended for your parents, Miss Arc."

"I'd like to think myself independent and mature enough to take their place, especially in matters regarding my brother." Iris Arc sat up straight, daring the headmaster to refute her claims.

He didn't. "Very well. Your brother was in a rather critical state when he was extracted from the restricted zone of Emerald Forest, though his Aura was able to stabilise him. You'd find him in the school infirmary, recovering. I'm certain you'd have no trouble navigating your way there, considering you yourself took extended stays there before."

"His Aura?" Her expression was that of careful neutrality, though internally Iris Arc absorbed the news in shock. "What do you mean, critical state?"

"Apparently his Aura was not activated until several days ago, the night when he was brought into the infirmary, to be more precise. And had it remained unlocked for even a little longer, then… it would've been too late." Ozpin parted with the information with an underlying accusatory tone. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Iris closed her eyes, anger simmering within her. She'd use it to boil her parents for their negligence later, after hearing their side of the story first, of course. "No, I haven't seen Jaune since… in a long while. Guild works kept me busy, so much so that I barely had the time to check up on my own family. I knew Jaune wasn't as… skilled, but I didn't think it would turn out like this! I just assumed…"

"…I see." Motioning at Glynda, he waited until she came back with a thin folder. Moments later its contents were under scrutiny of a pair of blue eyes, though there was hardly anything written on it, with more blanks than ink.

"I'm afraid I'll have to keep this meeting short, looks like I'll be making a quick detour before I head back to my office." The eldest of the Arc siblings spoke as she clipped the folder shut, her temper barely held in check. She was definitely planning on having a word or two with her parents regarding their only son, and why he still wasn't taught how to even swing a sword properly.

Her train of thought skidded to a halt. After she got the story out of her parents, then what would she do? What would happen to Jaune? Would he be dragged home, and just simply be, drifting through life as he has no doubt has done for the past years? She was in no position to take in Jaune under her care either, considering how busy she was, not to mention how often she moved from place to place. Her other sisters would either be likewise busy or, she dreaded to think, didn't care about their brother as much as her to help him. She hoped that wasn't the case, but…

"Headmaster Ozpin," Iris took a deep breath after a moment of contemplation, "I need you to do me a favour."

* * *

Yang Xiao Long was bored, and she disliked being bored.

At first, after the burning rage has faded with the simian Grimm she pummelled to death disintegrated, it was replaced with a concern that was borderline hysterical. She remembered crying and screaming at the sight of her sister lying motionless on the dirt, only calming down when her partner frantically shook her and yelled that she was going to be fine. From the Bullhead to being carried to the infirmary Yang refused to leave her sister's side, lest it all turned out to be one big horrible joke.

That was, what, two, three days ago? Her concern for Ruby tethered her to the chair next to the bed Ruby had claimed, though sitting for long hurt, and the only conversation she had with her sister was very much one-sided. Occasionally she left for meals and other necessities, even going out for a bit of sparring to work out the building stress and frustration on the training bots and sometimes other students, though she always came back to her place beside her sister, hoping to see her up and awake, disappointed when nothing has changed.

All thanks to the sleeping blonde dude on the adjacent bed, she mused sourly.

She knew little, if anything, about the guy that was brought in with Ruby. She didn't even notice him until they brought him in with an IV shoved into his arm, peeling clothes stained in blood, new and old from his body. Then Ruby, who briefly woke up in the chaos, dragged a bespectacled woman with a stern expression off to the corner, then moments later rushed to his side, before her body glowed red, causing his own body to glow in white. Her sister collapsed right then and there, was put into bed, and the rest was history.

Yang hasn't heard those incantations in a long time, though there was no mistaking it; her father uttered those words when he unlocked her Aura before she started her own training after all.

Unlocking his Aura was understandable, what with all the restorative powers that healed the user of any ailments, yada yada yada. Why Ruby was the one who did the unlocking was the burning question.

It was apparent that there was something going on between the two of them. It was a fair assumption too, since they were most likely to have crossed paths from the moment of the crash to their rescue. Still, the determined look Ruby wore when she declared she would unlock his Aura, and muttering his name – Jaune – in her sleep… Yang just didn't know what to think.

She sighed. There was no point in overthinking it, she'd just have to wait until they got up. When, though, was the answer she wanted to know.

"C'mon, little sis. I know you're lazy and all, but it's not nice to keep me worrying, you know?" Softly muttering, she patted her sister on the head, fondly recalling the days in the past when Yang used to nurse a sick younger Ruby back to health.

The door quietly clicked shut behind her, making her jump. She didn't even hear him coming in. _'Damn ninjas.'_

"How is she?" He asked quietly, offering her a steaming mug.

"Still the same. Wish she'd just hurry up already." With a huff she took a sip, only to gag at the apparent lack of flavour of the beverage. "What _is_ this swill?"

Ren rolled his eyes. "Never had green tea before?"

"Tea's for wimps." Yang stated bluntly. As Ren crossed his arms indignantly, Yang couldn't help but smirk. "Not saying that you are though, pretty guy. But tea? Really? Not the kind of thing tough guys would want to be seen drinking. Oh, wait."

"I wasn't aware there were gender-exclusive beverages. Also, tea's good for relaxation, I figured you'd need one for such reasons." Ren intoned, ignoring the not-so-subtle jab at his masculinity.

Yang was miffed. "Can't you just talk like a normal person?"

"No," came the remarkably candid reply.

"Would it kill you to even try?" Yang threw her hands in the air.

His mouth curved upwards in mirth. "Yes."

With a growl Yang threw her fist, which Ren sidestepped with ease. She wasn't pissed though, as she too sported a grin. She didn't peg him as a comedian material, but at least he wasn't completely immune to a little humour every now and then. "Stand still! I promise I won't kill you if you do!"

"Tempting, but… no." Ren twisted his body sideways, narrowly dodging another punch.

"Uh, are we interrupting anything?"

A feminine voice called out politely, and the two fighters stopped to see the tall red-haired girl walking in, accompanied by the trio of girls. "Oh hey." Yang offered as if nothing happened, sitting back down. Blake nodded in response, with a jerk of head from the heiress. Nora already found her spot next to Ren, chatting incessantly about… whatever, while he listened patiently. Or pretending to be, anyway.

"How's your sister doing?" Pyrrha asked, claiming a seat on the other side of Ruby's bed.

"Still the same." She repeated her earlier reply. "Thanks for dropping by, appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. We'll all be classmates soon, after all."

Not knowing what to say, Yang settled with a nod. It wasn't easy striking up a casual conversation with a stranger, much less one that went by the name of Pyrrha freakin' Nikos, the national celebrity of Mistral. She seemed polite enough, but it ironically made things even more difficult, as she didn't want to leave her first impression as the 'crass chick with more brawn than brain.'

Pyrrha sighed dejectedly. It wasn't the first time she saw that look, the expression some people made when they were overthinking, overanalysing their gestures and words, like she was someone different, very different. To them it might have felt like worshipping, or at least regarding her in awe. To her, it was downright alienating, almost to the point where it felt like a prejudice. Her eyes slid over to the rest of the occupants of the infirmary, Blake lost in her book and Weiss in her nails. Seemed like the only ones who were comfortable were those who slept and Nora with Ren.

Unlike Ruby's, the other bed had the curtains drawn, hiding the patient within from outside scrutiny. Pyrrha knew for a fact that they weren't the only ones to pay a visit to the infirmary; some of the more inquisitive members of the student population and even a few teams of reporters tried to catch glimpses of the survivors, until the deputy stepped in, her frigid glare more than enough to repel the majority of them.

It was understandable, however. The restricted parts of the Emerald Forest housed the more exotic, deadlier species of Grimm that was rarely seen in other parts of Vale, possibly Remnant. Lasting nearly a day in the sylvan hell was not a light feat; the two of them were either very, very lucky or skilled, though she suspected it was more of the former rather than the latter.

"You know that guy?"

Yang's sudden question brought her out of her thought-induced stupor. "O-oh, no, I don't."

"Ah, okay. I just thought you knew him, since you're staring and all…"

Was she? She didn't even notice. "I'm… just worried." She muttered the first thing that came to her mind. It wasn't entirely false, however. "What they had to go through, it must have been terrible…"

"Ruby's tougher than she looks. She'll bounce back on her feet, she always does." The words didn't come out though, since she herself wasn't sure. She could only imagine what Ruby saw, what her sister went through. She could only hope that it wasn't as bad as they thought it was, but one could never be sure. Reaching out her hand, she took Ruby's hand in hers, giving it a light squeeze.

* * *

It was dark when he woke up, the interior dimly lit by the shattered moon's serene glow. Walls of velvet linen encircled him like a barrier, isolating him from the world.

"Where am I?" His voice came as a whisper, one that went unanswered. He sat up, wincing a little as his aching muscles protested from the movement. The constant stabbing pain was gone, as did the red gashes when he lifted his garment and pulled his sleeves to check, leaving only smooth, unblemished skin in its place. "How?"

The curtains parted, admitting a gray-haired man through, dressed immaculately in a simple yet smart suits. The man's shaded spectacles did little to hide his piercing brown eyes that almost seemed like as if he was looking _through_ him, rather than _at_ him.

Jaune would've been lying if he said it didn't make him uncomfortable. The unreadable countenance didn't help, either. "Uh, can I… help you?" Jaune asked.

"Mr. Arc," The man nodded, "Good to see you on you're up. How do you feel?"

"How do you…?" It was certainly an odd question, at least it did seem like one until his memories slapped him on the head. "Wait... Ruby! And where am I?"

"Miss Rose is fine, she's just sleeping off the exhaustion." The bespectacled man stepped to the side, and through the gap he could just make out the tuft of black hair poking out of the blanket. Her Crescent Rose was propped against the wall next to her bed.

"As for your question, you are currently in Beacon infirmary."

"Beacon?" He made an attempt to stand, though was gently pushed back on the bed by the man. "How did I get here?"

Ozpin raised his brow. "I see… What is the last thing you remember, Mr. Arc?"

"We were lost in the forest, it was dark, and, and I was losing blood." He tried to jog his memory, though came up with blanks. "…That's it. Did I…?"

"You were in a critical state when we brought you in here. I'll admit, you suffered a rather heavy blood loss, the paramedics were almost on the verge of giving up on you then and there, had it not been for Miss Rose's timely intervention."

Jaune's thought processes suffered a momentary shutdown. "I'm sorry, I almost what?"

"Dead, Mr. Arc, but Miss Rose stepped in to unlock your Aura." He shook his head at the memory, when the light of his Aura flooded the whole room, nearly blinding everyone in the vicinity, and when the light subsided, the gashes and various cuts were gone, as if they were never there before.

"She actually did it…?" Jaune mumbled to himself. He didn't think she'd go so far as to keep a promise.

"Yes, however, the process of undoing the seal that locks the Aura within the body requires a certain amount of discipline and control over Aura. Miss Rose, however, had yet to obtain either, and so the toll of her efforts was more than what she could bear."

He really didn't like how that sounded. "Is she going to be okay?"

Ozpin's lips curved upward. "She will be, yes. It's a simple matter of exhaustion. Believe it or not, Miss Rose is not the first, nor will she be the last, to attempt unlocking Aura without proper training. And so far, no serious or lasting side effects has ever been recorded in the aftermath."

He let out a breath he was holding in relief. "Thank god."

"Now, physically you and Miss Rose are fine, however, we decided it was best to keep you in for further examination."

Jaune looked up in confusion. "Uh, what?"

"Mr. Arc, what do you know about Grimm?" Ozpin asked.

"Well, they're, uh, monsters that hunt and kill humans out of instinct?" Jaune offered. What did this have to do with the whole 'examination' thing?

"Correct. Anything else?"

His brow creased in concentration as he tried to recall the tidbits of information he came across regarding Grimm in books and online sources. "They're… creatures that don't have a soul, and so can't use Aura like us?"

"Yes. They're also abominations that are drawn to negative emotions. Anger, sadness, hate, and doubt." Ozpin added thoughtfully.

His answer did nothing to change his confusion; if anything else it just made it worse. "Uh, I don't want to sound rude or anything, but where are you going with this, sir…?"

"Ah, my apologies. My name is Ozpin, and I am the Headmaster of Beacon Academy." The headmaster digressed, before he returned to the main point, "As it happens, Grimm are not only attracted to such aura of negativity, but they themselves also emit them as well. The bigger and the stronger the Grimm, the greater this negative influence becomes."

"Wait a minute… You don't mean…?"

"The deeper parts of the Emerald Forest has been sealed off for a reason, Mr. Arc. Only the Hunters and Huntresses proven to show great physical and mental resilience can safely traverse the area without falling prey to the hostile Grimm and the dark aura of negativity given off by their very presence. For the two of you to have last that long, I can say that you two were very fortunate. Moreso in your case, as you had no Aura to protect you. Those without Aura could've easily lost their minds beyond repair." That was putting it lightly; a miracle would've been a more apt term for their survival. And for him to be fully exposed to such miasma of negativity and still lived to tell the tale, all without an ounce of Aura…

Jaune was lost in thought. _'So those 'voices' I've heard, were they just my own thoughts? Or were they something else entirely different?'_ Shuddering, the weight of the implications of his, their, survival grew heavier. They weren't just lucky getting out of the whole deal in one piece, not just physically, but mentally, as well. "Sir, when I was in the forest, I... I heard... voices. They, well... they..."

"The miasma of negativity generated by Grimm, they feed and thrive off the dark thoughts harboured in the minds of people. Whatever you may have seen or heard, they are manifestations of your darkest fears."

Jaune felt his insides freeze. Perhaps sensing the crushing revelation, Ozpin clasped his shoulder in reassurance. "And yet here you are, still living and whole. It takes a great deal of willpower to witness such an ordeal and rise back up again. In any case, both you and Miss Rose are safe now, and that is what matters."

"I... I suppose so." Jaune fiddled with the hem of his blanket, before he faced the headmaster. "Sir, did anyone else survive?"

Ozpin sighed. "Unfortunately no. You and Miss Rose were the only ones who survived."

"...I see."

"Get some rest, Mr. Arc. You will need it." He spoke sympathetically.

Jaune shook his head. "I'm not really tired, sir." He didn't feel like sleeping either, not after all that.

A thin smile touched the headmaster's lips. "Understandable. You have been asleep for nearly three days now, after all."

"Three days?!" Jaune sputtered.

"Extreme fatigue is a common side-effect of unlocking Aura. Your conscience was… temporarily shut off, so to speak, so as to allow your body to adapt to sudden changes, that is, your Aura." Ozpin explained.

"Better than being dead, I guess." Jaune reasoned with a sigh.

"Be sure to pass your gratitude to Miss Rose, Mr. Arc. As I mentioned before, she has more or less saved your life."

Jaune chuckled. "That wouldn't be the first time."

While not an expert, Ozpin liked to think he had a decent ability to read other people. Or maybe it was just Jaune Arc being so easy to read, always unintentionally forthcoming with his emotions. Regardless of whichever it was, the forced grin and the hollow laugh suggested anything but humour.

Jaune turned to look out the window, zeroing in on the fractured celestial sphere with a faraway look, only to see the darkness shrouding it, faint sliver of light shaping its misshaped contour. "I'll wait until Ruby gets up, then I'll tell her. It's the least I can do for everything she's done for me.

"After that, can you let me know the flight schedule? I'll take the first airship available out of here. Don't worry about the destination, not like it would really matter where I go, anyway." Jaune smiled sadly.

Ozpin cleared his throat. "Mr. Arc, Initiation has been postponed, not cancelled."

What was he on about? "What-"

"Due to the unforeseen circumstances, the Initiation had to be momentarily cancelled. However, since it has not yet been completed in an official sense, there are still places left for prospective students." Ozpin tapped his cane with his fingers, giving the bed-ridden Arc a meaningful look.

"Wait, wait a minute!" Jaune held up his hand. "Sir, I think you've got the wrong person. I, I don't belong here! I'm not like the rest of the students here, I've never got any training! I-"

"We know, Mr. Arc." That shut him up pretty quick. "We have been looking into your background not long after we brought you here."

"Then why-"

"And yet you managed to survive not only the crash, but also numerous encounters with the dangerous Grimm that resided in the restricted area, all without your Aura," Ozpin cut in, his voice as impassive as his features, "Not many Huntsmen can boast of the same feat."

"It wasn't me, it was all Ruby. I wouldn't have last a second if it wasn't for her." Jaune protested.

"Mr. Arc, let me ask you a question." Wasn't that what he has been doing all night? Including answering him in a roundabout fashion? Or was it just him? "What do you want to do? To be more specific, if you could attend Beacon, would you?"

"I…" If he was asked less than a week ago, he would've said 'yes' in a heartbeat. But now… he wasn't sure. "I… I don't belong here." He repeated.

"I asked you what you _want_ , Mr. Arc. I'm asking you who you want to become, not who you are now."

That struck an odd note in his heart. It was as if Ozpin _knew_. "I…" That moment when he let Ruby in, confiding in her, he accepted that his dream of becoming a Hunter was just that, a dream. He knew he had to eventually free himself from the illusions, and face the harsh reality and accept it for what it was. It was a painful and bitter fact to accept, but accept he did.

Except, maybe, just maybe, a part of him still clung to that dream. A pipe dream, for sure, but one that he chased since he was a child. And now that seemingly unattainable dream was just within his reach...

"I'll ask you again, Mr. Arc. If you could, will you?"

"...Yeah, I want to! I want to become a Hunter! I always wanted to, and I still do!"

Jaune never expected the stoic man to smile so widely, so genuinely. "Very well then. The Initiation will resume on the day after tomorrow, on 1100 hours. You and Miss Rose, along with the remaining students will report to the Amphitheatre by 1000 hours. Is that understood?"

"Y-Yes sir!"

With that Ozpin turned to leave, though not without adding, "Just to be clear, I'm only giving you a chance, Mr. Arc. What you do with it, is up to you."

Jaune sank into his bed, multitude of thoughts running haywire in his head. He tried not to, but couldn't help but feel hope swelling in his chest, something he hasn't felt in a long while. This invitation, this chance – it was the furthest he'd ever got. He knew better than to keep his hopes high though, as that only made him fall harder when the disappointment kicked in. If he failed this time… He really didn't want to go there.

A soft groan dragged him from going down that lane, and he saw as Ruby kicked off the blanket, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "Jaune?" She yawned.

He couldn't help but smile. "Hey, Ruby."

A bell tolled in the distance, its chime echoing as both hands of the clock tower hit twelve. The rest of the moonless night passed by, blanketed in peaceful silence.

* * *

The pills rattled in the amber plastic bottle as it was drawn from one of the many pockets on her coat. Wedging them in her fingers, she tossed two in her mouth, downing them with a glass of water provided by a steward. He was a handsome thing, decked out in formal suits that was better suited for a mansion than an airship. Then again, considering the luxurious standard of the private Guild vessel, such snappy dress code was probably a mandatory.

With a sigh Iris Arc leaned back on her seat. For all the wonders of Aura, they strangely did little to alleviate the motion sickness, an ailment that was a hereditary trait for all Arcs. She wasn't too fond of relying on synthetic chemicals to combat this affliction, but it was preferable to regurgitating and having the sour taste of bile lingering in the back of her throat.

Her immediate problem settled, she pondered on her next course of action. Domremy was on the far corner of the agricultural district, a quaint little village that hugged the coast on one end, the thick forest on the other. It has been… She forgot how long it has been since she last stepped on the doormat of their home, so long since she saw her family face to face.

Though she wouldn't admit it, she did feel the pangs of homesickness on occasion, when the stress of the workload felt heavier, weightier than usual, when the vacant rooms in her apartment felt emptier for unknown reasons. Sometimes it was bearable, other times, it was downright suffocating. She wondered if Jaune ever felt that way, even with his family around.

Her eyes narrowed when her thoughts turned to her parents. She knew that neither of the Arc parents were unreasonable people, nor were they the kind of parents that would purposefully neglect their children, even if there were eight of them. At least, the parents she knew all those years ago weren't. Time was a funny thing, though. Who's to say they haven't changed? Her only brother certainly has.

The glass in her hand shattered, the shards and its contents spilling on her lap. Alarmed, the stewards and stewardesses rushed immediately to tend to their only passenger. She waved off their concerns, wordlessly taking the dry towel from one of the attendants and patting the wet patches on her slacks.

She softly groaned, cursing herself for losing control of her emotional reins. Her brother may have been fine, but the fact that he had encounters with death and nearly kicked the bucket didn't sit right with her. And in her mind, he wouldn't have had to in the first place, only if he was taught how to fend for himself, something which they all failed to do. In retrospect she wasn't without faults, either. If she wanted to start pointing fingers though, she needed to first get the whole story, in person. It wouldn't be too late to act afterwards.

Till then, Jaune would have to look out for himself. After all, in the end, all she could give him was a chance. What he did with it, was up to him.

' _It's up to you now, little brother. If you're still chasing that dream of yours, this is your only chance.'_

* * *

 **A/N: Firstly, my thanks to all who faved/followed/reviewed this humble story of mine. It's getting rather repetitive, yeah, but I didn't want to just gloss it over either. That, and for the moment I can't really think of what to say to express my gratitude, other than maybe posting a new chapter, like this one.**

 **Iris Arc is an OC... or is she? Canonically speaking, Jaune does have seven unnamed sisters, so technically it's not an OC, maybe except the name. Regardless, she won't be playing a major role in the story, at least, that's the plan anyway.**

 **As some of you may or may not have guessed by now, this story will not feature an OP or harem Jaune, but rather (what I believe to be) a more realistic portrayal of Jaune as a character. The story where the weak and the flawed character grows from experiences in life, overcoming many trials, sometimes giving up, sometimes persevering, where the character in the end is shaped by the choices he/she made, these kinds of stories, in my opinion, hits the closest to home, because that's pretty much how we, the normal, average folks like you and me, live our lives. I probably should've included this in the first chapter, but a) I forgot till now, and am too lazy to edit the first chappie and b) I'm adhering to the theme of this chapter, which coincides(?) with the story title.**

 **Disgustingly sappy rants aside, one (or few) reviewers asked me about the frequency of the updates. I will tell you that come December, my life will get rather hectic, and it may remain that way for a year at most (hopefully), so the updates won't be as frequent as it has been for the past five chapters. I'm NOT saying I'll never work on this though, hell no! I put waaaaay too much effort to just simply give up without even seeing this story to the end. If, for whatever reason I DO abandon it... yeaaaaah, let's cross that bridge when we get to it, ya?**

 **Oh yeah, also, romance won't be the main focus of this story, aka this is not a shipping fic. Not really. There will be pairing ships, but they're still under construction, so they won't be setting sail any time soon, mainly because I'm not the author that should be writing romance (believe me, I tried, and I spectacularly failed). And when they do set sail, expect lots of cannon fire. Maybe. We'll see.**

 **As usual, thanks for reading!**


	6. Act 1: Chapter 6

**ACT 1: Teams**

* * *

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

\- Helen Keller

* * *

In his childhood memories, Jaune remembered how he once dreamed of flying. To fly freely with no restraints, it was a typical children's fantasy as a result of worldly curiosity merging with his desire to be free. Then came the motion sickness, the bane of all Arcs, and this particular dream lost a bit of an altitude, flying nowhere near as high as his first anticipation, but still staying aloft.

Now, he could care less if this soaring dream suffered a horrible accident and never took to the skies again. And preferably land on the Beacon headmaster who _clearly_ had a few screws loose in his head. Seriously, he heard of Beacon Initiation process being a little… unorthodox, but who in their right mind launched students off the cliff? Then again, he _did_ see Yang whooping as she propelled herself higher and higher into the air, and, while not as care-free as her sister, Ruby definitely seemed far too perky for someone who was just catapulted off the side of the cliff and into the air without a parachute or a safety guideline. Jaune wondered whether talents and eccentricity came in hand-in-hand.

Gravity was dragging him closer and closer to the ground, and Jaune was that much closer to completely freaking out or just faint. At least in the case of the latter the pain would only be brief before he ended up as a slightly misshapen Grimm food. There was always a third option though, and it involved Jaune unfolding his shield and using it to protect him from the whiplashes of the tree branches as he crashed through the canopy of the Emerald Forest. His sword in a reverse grip, he wildly flailed his arm until it stabbed through one of the thicker branches, leaving him dangling above the ground. With a grunt he tried to pull himself up, only for the action to cause his sword to slide downward, the rest of him following suit.

His body glowed as his Aura worked to numb his pain and whatever he might've hurt from the fall, and he couldn't help but wonder whether someone upstairs really didn't like him, to the point of almost making him bite the dust more than once, including another round of free fall. All in the span of less than a week. And he found himself in the same place that almost offed him before, only this time, it was voluntary, a choice that seemed less appealing by the minute.

Still, this was the first – and probably the only – real chance he would ever get in his life. Taking deep breaths to soothe his racing heart, he picked himself up, his sword drawn. "Alright, let's do this."

Dusting off the leaves from his person he made his way deeper into the forest, his body tense as his wary eyes jumped from a tree to a tree, occasionally turning around to see if anyone or anything was creeping up behind him. It wasn't just the Grimm that he had to keep his eyes out for, but other initiates. The Initiation, he learned, wasn't just a race, but also a competition, one that more often than not pitted prospective students against others. While there was no official rule that permitted this, there wasn't any that forbade it either. The exact line of what they could and couldn't do was rather vague and blurred, just like the headmaster's instructions for finding a partner.

That was part of what made Jaune anxious, aside from the fact that there were still hundred-something competition to worry about, there were hundred-something pairs of eyes he could accidentally lock on to, hundred-something strangers he could potentially end up spending the four years with. And if they were all just as skilled as he was led to believe, the gap between him and his peers would be far, far too wide for him to cross.

Given that, he probably had… a few people he wouldn't mind being paired up with. But then again, Yang seemed rather difficult to deal with, judging by her outgoing and a tad forceful personality, and the guy with the black hair he remembered seeing in the live footage – Ren, was it his name? – gave off the quiet, loner-type of vibe. Jaune could definitely see things getting awkward if he ever ended up being partners with either of them.

He groaned as his already small pool of potential partners reduced to just one person. The only problem was finding Ruby first, before anyone beat him to it.

Fuelled by the sense of urgency, he broke into a light jog, only to realise he had absolutely no idea where he was going, or where he was supposed to go. A pack of Beowolves emerged from the shadows of the trees, providing him with an answer; anywhere but here.

"Ah shit!" He immediately took off, the rustling of the grass and the growls trailing not far as the pack of the lupine Grimm gave chase. If there was one, maybe two, he would've taken the chance to turn and fight back, though there were no less than maybe half a dozen, with one of them being noticeably bigger than the rest of the pack. It barked, and the two lesser wolves in the front suddenly disappeared into the woods on either sides, no doubt intending to flank him.

Jaune cursed, just his luck to run into a bloody Alpha. It hasn't even been the first hour since the Initiation started, and already he was on the run for his life again. _'Seriously, why me?!'_

"Jaune!" A feminine voice called out, shortly before a loud crack resounded, and one of the Beowolves limply collapsed with a gaping hole where its chest used to be. From the leafy covers above a streak of crimson leapt down, and in a blink of an eye two more Grimm fell, their torso separated from their legs.

"Holy shit! Ruby?!" He rubbed his eyes just in case his eyes worked properly. He didn't even see her drawing – or unfolding – her weapon until she stood over the corpses, facing down the Alpha that was easily twice her height, and more. The oversized scythe sent chills down his back, more so when blood slid down its blade, making it even more intimidating.

"Hey Jaune! Fancy seeing you here!" Ruby shouted before she ducked as the Alpha swiped at her with its long bony claws. "Sorry, but let's kill this thing first before we talk, okay?"

Jaune tried to rush to her aid, only to be waylaid by the two Beowolves that disappeared into the trees earlier. "Whoa! Holy fuck!" He cried as he raised his shield, just in time for the claws to strike with surprising amount of force. Staggering from the blow, Jaune wasn't prepared for the follow-up attack, and he yelped when the second Beowolf to tackle him off his feet on his back. Jaune barely managed to thrust his sword through the open maw of the Grimm before it could tear at his throat with its fangs. The corpse of the Grimm was heavier than its lithe frame belied, and he grunted in exertion as he pulled it off him. The other Beowolf was immediately upon him, however, and Jaune found himself on his back again, with sharp pain radiating from his abdomen, one of the areas of the body not covered in armour.

It didn't incapacitate him for long, not like it would've the first time around. His Aura flared up once more, and the Crocea Mors struck like a snake, scoring a deep cut across the lupine creature's thigh. As it howled in pain, Jaune stabbed forward wildly, not stopping until the thing was disintegrating to unidentifiable ash-like dust.

Sweat poured down his face, and his breaths were ragged, then realisation kicked in. He just took down not one, but two Grimm. Not by chance like the first Grimm he killed, but properly, with his own two hands.

"I killed it…?" He whispered in disbelief, before he broke into a grin as the two felled Beowolves deteriorated into nothingness. "I killed it! YES!" He shouted to the heavens, arms pumped in the air.

A battle cry caught his attention, and he saw Ruby in mid-air, slipping the blade of her scythe around the Alpha's neck and, with a loud crack of gunfire, swung it around, neatly yet brutally decapitating the Grimm. She landed gracefully on her feet, the Crescent Rose slung over her shoulder. "Jaune! You're okay!" She commented cheerfully.

Jaune chuckled. "Not as well as you though. Am I glad to have run into you before anyone else, let me tell you that! Wait," He paused, eyeing the surrounding to see anyone else in the vicinity, "Unless, you've already found someone?"

"What? No no no! I was trying to find you instead- I-I mean, I just happened to run into you, and…" Ruby stammered before she gave up, "…Actually, yeah, I was trying to find you. I just, didn't want to be paired up with some random stranger, you know? And since I know you and you're a great guy, and we're friends, so I thought, you know…"

"Wait, wait! You mean, you want to partner up with _me_?" Jaune asked incredulously, pointing to himself. The follow-up question of "Why?" felt entirely justified, at least in his mind.

Ruby genuinely looked confused. "What do you mean, 'why'? You're my friend, and since we've gone through so many things together I thought we'd work well as partners." She shuffled nervously on her feet as she waited for him to say something, anything. "Do-do you not want to?"

"I want to, I do! It's just that, you know, you really sure? I mean, we'll have to be partners until we graduate, and we're talking about four years, _four_!" Admittedly, he was glad to hear that Ruby actively tried to find him just so she could be his partner. It didn't hurt that she was extremely talented and kind, either. What did hurt was the idea of someone like himself dragging her down, when she could've easily picked someone else, someone far more able than he could ever be.

"Yeah, I know. And?"

Jaune huffed, a little frustrated at how casual she sounded, almost as if she was giving the matter little, if any, thought at all. It was an irrational thought, he knew, but he couldn't help it all the same.

A small frown adorned her face as she studied him, wondering why he seemed so distressed, so uncertain about the idea, until it clicked. "Jaune." Ruby placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, a warm, sympathetic look on her face. "Trust me on this, I'd rather have you as my partner than anyone else." The image of her sister came to mind, though she banished the thought.

"…Really?" Jaune really didn't like how feeble he sounded then and there, though Ruby didn't seem to mind.

"Pinky promise! Besides, you keep thinking that you're not good at fighting, but you took down those Beowolves! For a first time, that's actually pretty good!" She knew she was a bad liar, since she sucked at keeping her face straight, though for his sake, she tried to sound as encouraging as she could. Besides, it wasn't entirely a lie, given his history of training, or lack thereof. Compared to their would-be peers, it hardly deserved to be considered an achievement, though for Jaune, it was probably the equivalent of overcoming a great challenge, or taking the first real step to his dream of being a Hunter.

"Y-you think so?"

"Totally! And after we finish, I'll help with your training! I did say I would, right?"

Jaune smiled. "I know you will. Which reminds me," He closed the gap between them and drew her into a hug, "Thanks again, for, you know, getting my Aura going and all."

The embrace was a little awkward, and her returning gesture was no different. It didn't deter the smiles forming on their lips however. "You're welcome. Let's talk about those cookies later as your payment, how's that?"

Jaune laughed. "We'll see, Ruby. We'll see."

* * *

Ren rolled sideways, an axe digging into the ground where he was moments before. Its wielder dislodged it with a grunt, and swung it horizontally. In a show of acrobatics Ren vaulted over the crude weapon, letting loose torrents of bullets from his StormFlower. What the weapon lacked in firepower it made up with its sheer rate of fire, and the axe-wielder was thrown off his feet, peppered with several tens of 9mm rounds.

His Aura ate up the brunt of the assault, and Ren moved in for the 'kill', though was intercepted when the axe user's partner bull-rushed him from the side. With a yell the new adversary lifted his warhammer, though Ren acted faster as his foot shot forward, striking him hard in the stomach. As the hammer-user doubled over, Ren brought up his twin arms and sunk the sickle-like Wind and Fire Blades into his adversary's shoulders. The hammer-wielder's Aura faltered from the attack, and the blades greedily drew blood, revelling in the screams.

Ren retracted his blades, and StormFlower collapsed, disappearing into his sleeves. That was when he felt another presence from the corner of his vision, though he didn't tense up. The flash of the long golden mane was hard to miss, after all.

"You again?" Yang greeted with a small smirk. "Well, shit. Just my luck."

"If you want, we can pretend we've never met and simply go our own ways." Ren suggested with an eye-roll.

"You want to leave a hot number like me behind?" Yang gasped, feigning hurt at his dismissive remark. "Would you be so cruel as to leave a beautiful, helpless young lady like myself in this barbaric place crawling with danger?"

Ren made an exaggerated gesture of eyeing her up and down, before he uttered a simple "Yes."

"Alright, that's it!" Yang declared as she dropped all sense of pretence, slapping her hands on her hips. "You, me, partners. If you've got complaints, then you can talk it over with my fists. Got problems with that?"

Ren had several, though chose not to voice them out loud. Instead he sighed, giving it up as a lost cause. It would take too much effort to argue, and in the end it would change nothing. His new _partner_ had a rather forceful disposition that was not too dissimilar to that of his childhood friend's, and if his time with Nora taught him anything, it was that the day would probably end her/their way.

It wasn't a comforting thought, Ren decided as he trudged behind his then-and-now partner's energetic stride, complete with a cheerful expression.

"Hey." Yang came to a stop after some time of trekking in silence, her back turned to him.

"Yeah?" Ren quietly asked.

"...Thanks."

Ren stared, confused. "For what?"

"You know, with Ruby. You didn't have to come with me, but you did. And I appreciate that." Yang clarified awkwardly, her back still facing him.

"It was my choice," Ren shrugged, though his features softened all the same. "But you're welcome."

Yang grinned, any trace of nervousness gone. "Alright, now that we've got all the mushy crap over and done with, let's keep going, partner."

Ren's eyes widened, his mouth slightly open in shock, though it soon quirked upwards. "Lead the way then."

* * *

The dining hall was quiet, a far cry from its earlier image during breakfast that took place not too many hours before. Not that Blake minded it; on the contrary she welcomed the relative silence seldom found in large communal areas. Or anywhere quiet, really.

"Would you mind if I join you?" Blake looked up from her book, flipping through the pages with one hand and holding a small sandwich in the other. Pyrrha stood with her tray of food, and Blake was somewhat surprised to find her alone. Usually the Schnee heiress accompanied the red-haired Sanctum Champion, to the point where it was nearly impossible to see them apart. She had a suspicion that Pyrrha Nikos didn't exactly appreciate the Schnee's company as much as she did her's, but what did she care?

Blake nodded, and gestured at the seat across the table, her eyes returning back to her book. The pages riddled in ink currently depicted the protagonist's aimless wandering in the hollow plains that stretched on endlessly. Despite the book's rather simplistic cover, the story held within was rich in details, with thought-provoking concepts that never failed to draw her in, with a rather sombre overall tone that persisted throughout the chapters.

"That looks rather interesting. What's it about?" Pyrrha asked.

"It's a tale of a man whose journey takes him through the nine circles of hell, the plains of purgatory, and finally the heaven." Blake answered without taking her eyes off the book.

Pyrrha was stumped, not expecting that kind of response. "Sounds rather… profound."

"On the outside it may seem so. However, the man's journey, the story itself, is an allegory."

"Really?" Pyrrha leaned closer, "And what is it?"

This time Blake did look up. "There are various interpretations, one of them being a pilgrimage, a journey of spiritual kind that brings one closer to the deities of faiths. Some consider it a depiction of life, gaining wisdom from many mistakes and sinful deeds of the past."

"…That's… rather deep." Pyrrha made out after trying to find her voice. She waited for Blake to continue, though the black-haired girl made no further comments, too engrossed in the book.

Pyrrha prodded her salad with her fork, her appetite fast dwindling. Her excursion to the dining hall was for the purpose of getting to know her would-be teammates better as much as it was for lunch, though Blake seemed content as she was now, undisturbed. The ensuing silence felt awkward and uneasy, though it sure felt one-sided.

"Pyrrha!" The champion and the Faunus turned to see the remaining half of their not-yet team members, each carrying their own lunch, or a small pile in Nora's case. Both Pyrrha and Blake sighed, though for much different reasons.

"Hello!" Pyrrha waved them over with a smile. "I see you're awake. Did you sleep well?"

"Blllaaaaakkeee!" Nora whined as she ignored Pyrrha, throwing herself to a seat next to the bookworm, "Why didn't you wake me up! I missed my pancakes this morning!"

"Because you didn't want to wake up." Blake sighed, putting her book down.

"But- but- pancakes!"

"Oh for-" Weiss shook her head indignantly at the outright childish behaviour. "Anyway, where have you been, Pyrrha? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Oh, sorry. I just, I wanted to take a walk to… clear my head." Pyrrha fumbled a reply, hoping that Weiss bought it. She didn't have what it took to bluntly admit that she has been avoiding the heiress and her rather clingy disposition. Even though Weiss was one of the few who openly engaged with her, the sceptical part of her wondered about the underlying intentions behind the heiress' friendly and cordial approach.

"Understandable. Still, do let us know in the future, will you? We're a team, after all." Weiss stated as a matter of factly.

"…Of course."

Weiss seemed satisfied with that, and quietly turned her attention to her soup. It wasn't long before conversation started again, mostly between Pyrrha and Weiss, with Nora contributing her worth at the inopportune moments. Blake, as usual, kept to herself, her eyes sliding over the lines on the book.

"I wonder how the other students are doing." Pyrrha said as she looked around the dining hall, its already spacious interior feeling bigger at the lack of occupants within. "It feels so quiet and empty, really different from this morning."

Blake followed her gaze as it swept the hall, and true to her words only few students remained, the numbers countable with fingers from both hands. Really, it was just another group of four students, all huddled together in their own space several tables away, occasionally sending them curious glances.

"They must be another team like ours," Weiss observed, crinkling her nose in disdain, "Don't seem like much, though."

"Wonder what pieces they've got?" Nora wondered, surprisingly tame.

"Good question, though I think the real issue here is how many pieces there are to begin with." Pyrrha pointed out.

"How is that an issue?"

Pyrrha shrugged. "Just that some of them might not be sitting here with us after the Initiation today."

Looks of confusion passed through their faces, until Weiss snapped her fingers. "You're talking about those four… students, aren't you?"

As her partner nodded in affirmation, Weiss cupped her chin, chewing her lips as she lost herself in her thoughts. After moments of contemplation, she began, "The relics we were instructed to collect were chess pieces, and unless I'm mistaken, the teams are assigned depending on the matching colour pieces, our bishops standing as a clear example."

"So that's two golden bishops down. That leaves…"

"Counting the pieces in matching colours and shapes, if we go by the process of elimination, that should mean at the least twenty four students would be accepted into the Academy after each Initiation." Weiss concluded, before she looked around and corrected herself, "Make that sixteen."

The math was incorrect, or incomplete, and Blake was quick to point it out. "Aren't you missing something? What about the King, Queen, and the Pawn pieces?"

"Hence why I said 'at the least'," Weiss countered with a scowl, "The matching pair rules don't apply to the royal pieces, and there are far too many pawns to count to make them a valid method of assigning teams, thus making these pieces an uncertainty."

"Why not just make two King and Queen pieces?" Nora asked.

"That's just… unconventional?" Pyrrha offered.

"Under no circumstances has there ever been two King or Queen pieces on the board under a same banner." Weiss sighed, as if the very act of satiating Nora's inquisitiveness was too much effort. "Having more than one leading body leads to conflicts in commands, and no hierarchy can last long under a divided system."

"Uh…" Nora cocked her head in confusion.

"Just to clarify, are we even on the same page here?" Pyrrha asked amusedly.

"What I'm trying to say is, I find it rather unlikely they'd twist the official layout out of whim. That, and considering the importance of the royal pieces on the board compared to any other, wouldn't it, I don't know, instil a false sense of superiority in students who obtained the King and Queen pieces before anyone else?" Weiss explained with a huff.

"That's…" Absurd, Blake wanted to opine, though as she mulled it over, she could see the distinct possibility. The Initiation procedure was, for all intents and purposes, a competition. Not long after returning back from their pre-accident Initiation, she was startled when she happened to learn of the instances where some students fought over the items of the trial objectives in the past, even going so far as to lie in wait and ambushing those who claimed the objects. There wasn't any rule that forbade such actions after all, since the Initiation wasn't complete until _after_ the students recovered the relics _and_ brought them back to the rendezvous point.

Given that, and if her understanding of people weren't too overly cynical, she could definitely see at least a few individuals who sought to establish a semblance of superiority over other, weaker members of the student population.

Judging by the troubled look that Pyrrha wore, it was apparent that she too came to the same chilling conclusion. "That sounds so…"

"Underhanded? Unscrupulous? Dishonest?" Weiss listed hotly.

"Don't worry! If anyone tries to pick a fight with us, we'll just break their bones!" Nora declared loudly as she leapt off her seat.

"Nora, please." Blake tried to nudge her hyped partner down to her seat.

"She's right, though." Surprisingly Weiss agreed. "Each and every one of us are skilled enough that no one would be foolish enough to challenge us. And even if they do, we'll show them why we'll always be superior." She tapped her prized Multi-Action Dust Rapier holstered to her side.

Though Blake didn't agree with the way how the heiress phrased it, she definitely had a point. As long as she and her teammates looked out for themselves, the rest wouldn't be a problem, at least not for her to deal with.

* * *

Jaune watched as his partner got smothered by Yang's crushing embrace with no small amount of amusement. The way how Ruby flailed her arms as she struggled for air, and Yang only tightening hold in what he wanted to think of as an act of familial affection was a comical yet oddly touching scene to behold.

"So, uh, how did you end up with Yang?" Jaune's attempt of initiating a conversation was awkward at best, not at all helped by the teen's stoic, solitary vibe.

"We ran into each other," was all the teen gave. Jaune chuckled nervously, opting to watch Ruby wriggle out of her sister's grip instead. It ended when a grinning Yang tousled the younger sister's hair, who pouted and whined about how she wasn't a kid anymore.

Seeing the two sisters interact so naturally, Jaune couldn't help but reflect him with his sisters. It was a riot back then, when they were younger and his older sisters spoiled him as much as they teased him, while the few younger sisters trailed after him, tugging at his sleeves whenever they wanted something.

Then they all grew older, and life took his sisters away from him, each and every one of them pursuing their own dreams, taking them across Remnant, while he was stuck in his birthplace, watching, hoping. He sighed longingly, wishing that he still had what Yang and Ruby did.

A shrill scream pierced through the air, and the four of them froze. Without a word they quickly rushed towards the source of the sound, through the wild shrubbery and into the clearing or a plain, where stone ruins dotted the overgrown beds of grass.

The first thing they noticed was the two bodies in mangled heaps, the ground around them soaked crimson with their blood. They found the perpetrator not too long after, as it was impossible to miss the scorpion-like Grimm, especially one so large, with a flailing initiate caught in its pincers. The trapped student found them, as did the Grimm. "H-hey! Help! Please!"

The cry of plea soon turned to that of pain as the grip tightened, and with a sickening sound of slicing meat the initiate fell to the ground in two halves. The last standing initiate screamed in fury, unloading shots from her shotgun. It did little more than further agitating the Grimm, and the girl realised it as well. Her face twisted in fear, she tried to run, only to end up on the ground with the Death Stalker's glowing stinger sticking out of her chest.

The four students could only watch as the Grimm raised its stingers into the air, before violently shaking the impaled body free. Only when it landed on a stone wall and slid down, leaving behind a wet trail of blood did the four find themselves free of the bind that fear placed around them.

Ruby immediately sank to her knees, hand over her mouth as she fought the urge to throw up then and there.

Jaune blanched as he was taken back to the burning ruins of the airship, the lifeless eyes staring blankly at him as their life slowly dripped out of their wounds.

Yang's legs gave up on her, and she landed on her rear, though she was far too distracted to notice the pain.

Ren stood deathly silent, his eyes locked on to the horror like the others, mouth agape.

The Death Stalker hissed loudly, breaking the spell. Clicking its pincers menacingly, it advanced towards them in a frightening speed.

"Shit!" Jaune quickly scooped up Ruby, just as the colossal Death Stalker skittered towards them with an unnatural speed for its large size.

"Scatter!" Within moments the Death Stalker was upon them, forcing them to spread out. It turned its beady eyes on Jaune and Ruby, snapping its pincers. A bolt of fiery energy whizzed from the side, hitting the Grimm. Yang swung her fists, sending more shots flying towards the Death Stalker, though it did little more than blackening its thick bony carapace. "Get the hell away from my sister!" Yang howled.

Whether intended or not, Yang forced its focus on to her and Ren, who happened to find himself conveniently next to her. It lunged forward, barely missing the two teens as they ducked under the swipe.

"Holy fuck!" Yang swore as she dodged barely in time to avoid the stinger lancing forward. The tip struck the broken stone wall behind her, sending shards of rock flying from the impact. Yang took the opportunity to reel her fist back and punched with all her might, powered by her kinetic blasts.

The Death Stalker blocked it with its pincer, and she recoiled back, dismayed to see that all it did was make the Grimm stagger back a little, before it quickly recovered as if nothing happened.

Ren noticed, and decided to refrain from striking it with his Aura palm strikes. If Yang's destructive punches couldn't even dent its thick armour, he wasn't confident that his attacks could do any better, his StormFlower less so. The Dual Bladed Automatic Handguns were mainly used for the purpose of weakening and harassing the enemy with its high rate of fire, not as a main means of dealing damage.

The Death Stalker rammed into the wall, completely demolishing it. Yang and Ren leapt out of the way, returning back to their ranged offence. "What do we do now dammit!"

"I was hoping you'd have a plan or few!" Ren shot back.

"I thought you were the smarter one!" Yang shouted, jumping back from another stinger attack.

A loud crack preceded its screech, and Ruby was in mid-air above the unsuspecting Grimm, her scythe raised. With a yell she brought it down, though it failed to penetrate through its carapace. It didn't go unnoticed however, and the agitated ararchnid thrashed about, trying to unseat its unwitting passenger.

Ruby was thrown off its back, her Crescent Rose clattering near the Death Stalker's many hind legs. She moved for its retrieval, only to sidestep the stinger that sunk into the earth beside her, missing her by a narrow margin. Her Semblance activated, and her Crescent Rose was back in her possession, its barrel aimed at the Grimm.

The day before the Initiation, she made full use of the Academy Forge, the facility filled with various tools and technology, both new and old. The shelves were lined with vast array of ingredients and materials, some which were rarer and harder to procure than others. For those whose interests lied in the intricacy of weapons design and the art of smithing like herself, Beacon Forge was like a treasure trove. She spent the better part of the day not only repairing her Crescent Rose, but also adding some 'upgrades'. Simpler, sturdier locking mechanisms was just the tip of the iceberg; her magazine capacity increased by 250%, now able to house and fire fifteen shots before she needed to reload. The more significant change however was the addition of new ammunition to her arsenal.

Reaching into her pouch she withdrew a magazine clip and slotted it in. Stabbing the tip of her blade into the ground to form a monopod to stabilise the recoil, she pulled the trigger. The armour-piercing rounds, or AP rounds for short, was a type of ammunition specialised for armoured targets, the tips were often capped with different type of metal, such as depleted uranium, a metal that she once read was utilised by those of the bygone Era as sources of energy. If what she read was correct, this type of ammunition had the power to punch through a thick wall of stone. She just hoped it was just as effective on Grimm carapace.

It certainly had an effect, though not to the extent that she was hoping for. A small indent formed where the bullet struck, narrow cracks forming around it. It wasn't enough to significantly damage the Grimm, but it did serve to anger it even more, painting herself as its highest priority target. It struck out with its stingers again, and this time Ruby reacted too slow, the hem of her cape getting caught and pinning her down.

"RUBY!" Yang screamed as she charged forward, her lilac eyes taking reddish hues as anger empowered her. While not the main catalyst, emotions – especially the variations of anger – tended to play a part in activating her Semblance, albeit partially, like holes in the dam, not unleashing the full power but rather letting it bleed slowly.

The downside, however, was that while it did increase her raw power, it robbed her of rationality, exacerbating her already reckless and impatient characteristics. She knew that it was suicidal to just charge at the armoured monstrosity, though her concern for Ruby and her fury savagely struck it aside. The Death Stalker did the same to her, except with much more force behind its blow.

"Yang!" Ren quickly dashed to his partner's side, alarmed to see blood trickling down her head. She was still conscious, though barely, as she swayed lightly side to side. "Concussion. Damn." Setting down near the dazed blonde, Ren rummaged through a satchel he carried on his person within his attire. Finding a small vial of herbal extract he forced the content down Yang's throat, sighing in relief as she seemed to return to her senses, though not without a violent cough. Deeming her stable for the time being, he moved to Ruby's aid, only to see that the monstrosity was about to snare her in its pincers. "Shit!"

Salvation came, and its name was Jaune. With a strangled yell of fear he threw himself over Ruby, using his shield to prevent the scissor-like claws from cutting them in half like it did with the unnamed initiate earlier.

"Jaune?!"

"Ruby, run!" Jaune yelled, panicking as the Death Stalker squeezed, slowly crushing his shield. "And get me out of here!"

It was with a twinge of regret that she undid the clasp that held her cloak together, and it slid down her body. Grabbing Jaune by his hood she pulled him out, just as he freed his arm from the leather clasps of his shield, the foldable personal armour imploding not too long after.

"Holy shit!" That was… he didn't even want to know how many times he narrowly avoided death already. Thinking about it only made him feel as if he was counting how many lucky saves he had left before he snuffed it.

"Jaune, hold on!" Ruby shouted, and Jaune's body was jerked forward by Ruby's sudden acceleration. It put some distance between them and the Death Stalker though, and Jaune wasn't going to complain about that.

"This is insane! No matter what we do, we can't even hurt it! How on earth are we going to kill it?" Ruby growled in frustration, before it turned to a squawk as she came precariously close to the edge of a cliff, something that neither of them noticed until they were staring down at its seemingly bottomless abyss.

And from that void, an idea struck him. "Maybe we don't have to! Hear me out, I've got a plan!" He hastily filled her in, her eyes growing wider at the sheer audacity.

"You're crazy!" Ruby loudly stated as they resumed their flight from the arachnoid Grimm.

"If you've got any better ideas, I'd like to hear them!" Jaune snapped.

"Grr, fine! If this blows up, it's all your fault!" With that Ruby sped up, until they reached Ren and Yang, who mostly recovered from her daze.

"Yang! Ren! We need your help!" Jaune repeated what he told Ruby earlier, and was met with an equally sceptical response. They had little time to verbally express them when the Grimm, not for the first time of the day, was nearly upon them. Not waiting for them to acknowledge his plan, he and Ruby scampered back towards the cliffside. Ruby made sure to unload a few more AP rounds just to make sure it didn't change its target to Ren and her sister. It worked like a charm, and they could hear its menacing hiss very close behind them.

Before long they stood with their backs to the cliff. As if somehow sensing their predicament, the Death Stalker slowed its pace, snapping its pincers mockingly, like a hunter toying with its prey, convinced that they were done for as they wanted it to believe.

"Jaune?" Ruby's asked with a noticeable quiver in her tone, "You sure this is going to work?"

Jaune gulped. "Positive… I think."

"What!" Ruby looked as if she had a lot more to add, when the Death Stalker shrieked and lunged at them.

"Now!" Jaune yelled, and the two immediately hit the ground, the underside of the scorpion abomination sliding above them. With a snarl Jaune stabbed upwards, just as Ruby pulled the trigger.

An ear-splitting screech drowned out all sound, as greenish-yellow fluids seeped from the newly created orifices made courtesy of their weapons. Jaune and Ruby yelled in disgust, rolling away from getting a faceful of the foul liquid.

"Ren! Yang! Hit it!" Jaune yelled as loud as he could over the screaming Grimm. They probably didn't hear it, though the sign was clear enough for them to strike out with all their might. They were aware that they couldn't damage the Grimm, not with its highly resilient carapace, though the aim was not to injure, but to push it back.

"Get a load of this!" Yang roared as she threw one punch after another, her still partially active Semblance numbing her pain receptors. Ren mustered all the Aura left in his reserve into one powerful strike. The momentum of their combined assault pushed the still thrashing Grimm slightly over the edge, and the gravity did the rest as the Grimm's own large mass and weight worked against itself, pulling it closer and closer until it fell to the yawning maw of the abyss, its screeches slowly dying down until they heard it no more.

Tension melted off their bodies, and the four collapsed on the soft grass below, their ears still ringing with the beats of their blood pumping through their bodies. They panted from the effort, from the near-death experience, and tried to wrap their heads around the fact that they were still breathing, still alive. It all felt surreal.

Ruby started laughing. That set off Jaune to laugh, and soon the quartet howled like maniacs, not caring how loud they were. This wasn't the first time he brushed past death, recalling the near-close encounter with the spider Grimm expanded to nightmarish proportions. Even so, that did little to lessen the intensity of the emotions he felt now.

"We actually survived?" Yang squeaked between laughter. Her partner only answered with a surprisingly loud and carefree laughter, which only set Yang off to another round, finding the sound oddly hilarious, given his usual stoic attitude.

Sometime later, the chorus of laughter died down to occasional bouts of giggles, and they got up, dusting themselves clear of the grass and dust. It was a cheerful Yang who socked Jaune on the shoulder, "Next time you come up with a plan, try to cook one up that doesn't involve getting us nearly killed. I'm all for adrenaline rush, but even I have standards."

"At least it worked, didn't it?" Jaune grumbled good-naturedly, rubbing his arm.

"It did. Your plan worked Jaune." Ruby came up his side with a wide grin. "Get it? You saved us all."

Her statement was backed by a grin from Yang, and an appreciative nod from the silent boy. It was in that moment, in that instance, when Jaune felt something welling inside him, something that he wouldn't realise until much later.

Pride.

* * *

The rest of their journey was short, though no less sombre than the events that led up to it. The bodies of the four fallen students still decorated the plain, and they all agreed to notify the staff of the tragedy. At the very latest, their bodies wouldn't be left to rot in this god-forsaken place, picked apart by the ravenous Grimm that prowled the area.

It was during the process of gathering them that Ren happened to find what they were originally sent to look for. In his hand, drenched in blood, laid two golden relics.

"This kinda looks like a…"

"Pawn." Jaune pointed out, the pieces' unremarkable features suggested anything but.

"Lame." Yang finished with a frown.

"Do you think, I mean, can we take them? I mean, they found it first…" Ruby trailed off, unsure how to phrase it. She didn't need to, they all understood what was and wasn't spoken.

"At the risk of sounding blunt, they won't be needing it." Ren stated as a matter-of-factly, though he did look visibly uncomfortable as he passed one to Jaune.

"But we do." Yang continued. She too, didn't look thrilled at the idea, however.

Jaune glanced at the seemingly innocuous artifact. To think that people bled and died over it almost made him question whether this was all worth it. It was even worse since it felt like they were looting it off the corpses, corpses that were still living and breathing human beings not even an hour ago. Was it even right for them to take it?

He said nothing, though there was no need for him to do so. They were all on the same page, sharing similar doubts.

When the Beacon tiltjet came to pick them up, the trip back to the Academy was a somber one, each wrapped in their own thoughts.

* * *

The expansive interior of the Amphitheatre was filled with people, though there were far fewer than usual, the majority of the audience comprised of upper year students as they sat for the first year teams to be announced. The remaining small portion belonged to few initiates who failed and were graceful enough to congratulate those who passed. Usually the proud kinsmen would cheer for their kind when they were officially admitted to the Academy, though what with the recent tragedies of the crashed airship and the unusually higher death toll this year, there were little to celebrate and cheer about.

The curtains parted, the floodlights zeroing in on the lone figure that stood in the centre of the stage. Even in the spotlight, the headmaster of Beacon looked as impassive as ever, not at all intimidated or even anxious in the presence of so many eyes. His voice never wavered as he started the Initiation ceremony with an opening speech, though it did carry traces of sorrow when the loss of lives was briefly mentioned.

Jaune barely registered the headmaster's oration, too lost in his own thoughts. It wasn't until Ruby nudged him on the side did he snap back to attention, just in time to see the four girls walking up to the stage with their hands held behind their backs.

"Weiss Schnee, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Blake Belladonna. The four of you have retrieved the white Bishop pieces. From this day forward, you shall be working together as team Winterbourne (WNBN), led by, Weiss Schnee."

A round of polite applause echoed through the darkened auditorium, and Weiss sported an expression of pleasant surprise. Pyrrha patted her on the back, gently leading her off the stage.

The large monitors then changed to show four new faces, and Jaune gulped when he found his on one of them. He felt awfully conscious of his every actions as he walked up the steps and into the spotlight just as Ozpin called out their names.

"Lie Ren, Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose, and Yang Xiao Long. In your recovery of the white Pawn pieces, the four of you shall be working together as team Regality (RALY), led by, Ruby Rose."

Another round of applause followed, though Yang was more vocal in her praises, ruffling her thoroughly embarrassed sister's hair. Ren offered her a small smile, and Jaune-

His grin was warm as he congratulated her, and she felt her face getting hotter, though it didn't necessarily felt bad. She walked down the stage with the rest of her team, _her_ team, and the rest of the day blurred past, organising their co-ed rooms and putting up their own touches of breathing life into the empty room until night fell.

* * *

 **A/N: This is probably the longest chapter I've written, not including the Author's Note. The scene with the (giant) Death Stalker took a little longer than I initially planned, though I'm still satisfied with how it turned out. That might be just me though, so feel free to let me know how you thought about it. That, and the, you know, the whole story/chapter in general.**

 **Also, if you were expecting me to pull a fast one from the last chapter regarding team arrangements, well, nope! Okay, actually I was planning on it, just for the lols, but I liked the original team layout, so I decided to stick with it.**

 **Chess piece colours? Gold, white, who cares? Canon certainly didn't.**

 **On the subject of teams, it took me a while to come up with suitable names. I wasn't aware of the whole 'colour rule' until like, few days before, and whatever names I came up just went out the window. 'Winterbourne' is obvious, and for 'Regality', I immediately thought of 'royal blue'. That, and it's rather ironic how the meaning contrasts with the chess piece they found.**

 **As usual, thank you all for f/f/r'ing this story. I don't think I'll stop saying it, not until this story comes to an end (which probably won't be for a long, looong while... muahahaha...) or I get bored of repeating myself.**

 ***Updated: 26/04/17 - I'm not gonna bother putting this little tidbit with every chapter, since I'll probably forget.**


	7. Act 1: Chapter 7

**ACT 1: Acquaintances**

* * *

"There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't met yet."

\- William Butler Yeats

* * *

"Miss Adel, if you would."

Ozpin watched as the third-year squirmed in her seat. Even with her self-assurance it didn't stop the feeling of uneasiness coiling in her gut when nearly all the Academy staff had their eyes trained on her. Her current attire didn't exactly adhere to the dress codes either. Thankfully, Glynda didn't point it out, though her eyes carried more steel than usual.

Clearing her throat, Coco began to deliver her report. "We – my team and I, that is – did as instructed. We ran the perimeters, carefully observing the fresh blo- I mean, the initiates without being seen, you know, the usual."

With a sigh she continued, "Then before we knew it, we received a distress call from the other observers. Some fourth-years, they said they ran into a big-ass Nevermore that was picking on a team of new recruits." Coco shook her head as she continued to verbally paint her memories. "That thing wasn't just big, it was bloody huge. A single feather was taller than Yatsu, and that's saying something."

There was a pause as she struggled with her words. "We found 'em alright, all dead. The initiates, the seniors, all of them. We were lucky there were two more supervising teams nearby, otherwise…"

Her voice was hollow, carefully devoid of emotion other than weariness. It was a little disheartening to see how the students became more and more desensitised to loss of life with every passing battles. Ozpin vaguely remembered the younger Coco who bawled her eyes out when her first partner died in an accident during a mission. His decision to assign Fox Alistair, who also suffered a similar loss, with Coco did much to help them both recover, though at the same time it was also the first step in toughening their hearts. They both felt the pain of loss, and it hardened them.

"We almost killed it, almost. There were twelve of us, twelve, and eight of us were fourth-years. And still it managed to give us a good beating before it took off. That's when the staff stepped in, and you probably know the rest."

The last part came out more bitingly than what was considered polite, though Ozpin did not mind. Though team CFVY was fortunate in not losing one of their own, they very well could have, and that did not settle well with its leader. She was justified in lashing out at those who she deemed were the stout protectors, fully-fledged Hunters and Huntresses whose duty was to protect lives while ending Grimmkind's.

Judging by the sympathetic expression mirrored on the staff, he knew they too understood. "You have our apologies, Miss Adel." Ozpin began, "We should have taken the necessary precautions to ensure such tragedies never take place." He would've said more, though it would've sounded nothing more than excuses. Sincere apologies were all well and good, but it didn't bring back those who died.

Coco Adel settled for a stiff nod, and excused herself with a mutter. As the door clicked shut behind her, Ozpin reached for the communicator. A holographic monitor materialised to life, as did an outline that sharpened to make out a man on the screen.

"What did you find?" Ozpin asked.

"It's as you suspected, professor. The outpost was overrun, most likely by the Grimm. We haven't found how many or even which kind, but whatever they were, they sure did a number on the tower; all that's left is a pile of rubble."

"And the personnel?" Glynda asked.

The man's grave silence was all the answer they needed.

"I see…" A gloomy silence descended on the gathered staff.

"You have my thanks. Notify us at once if you find anything else."

"Sir." With that the holographic monitor faded.

Peter Port chose that moment to speak up for the first time since the meeting. "All these reported outbreaks of Grimm across Remnant, and now they arrived on our very doorstep, hunting down our students. This cannot be allowed to continue, headmaster."

"That's why we brought in the senior students to help oversee the Initiation. They were placed to observe the initiates' progress and, if need be, step in to minimise the damage." Another lecturer piped in.

"Except, our contingency plans did not involve the two titan-class Grimm in the Initiation grounds." Bartholomew Oobleck spoke up, for once at a pace that normal people could comprehend. "Nevermores and Death Stalkers aren't anything new, though it's rare to run across ancient ones, certainly not in this part of Emerald Forest."

"You think that they came from the restricted areas?"

"Plausible. However, we've yet to gather the necessary information to draw such conclusions." Oobleck reported, taking a sip of his caffeinated beverage.

Ozpin's scroll vibrated, and the barest hint of grimace touched the headmaster's face as he saw the caller's ID. Qrow's disgruntled expression glared back from the screen moments before he exploded.

It took Ozpin some time to calm the irate uncle of two, at which point Qrow was no longer shouting, though his scowl remained carved on his roguish face. "Besides," Ozpin continued, "Your nieces' performances were nothing short of exemplary. They faced a titan-class Death Stalker on their own, and not only survived, but also felled it as well."

Technically they didn't really kill it, rather they merely pushed it off a cliff near the ruins, though the end result was more or less the same, and Ozpin didn't feel the need to point it out.

"Ruby and Yang did? Holy shit!" Doing a one-eighty Qrow smirked in pride, and Ozpin thought he heard his deputy scoff at what she no doubt perceived as an 'unprofessional' reaction.

"Yes," Ozpin intoned with a faint smile, "Not only that, but you'd be pleased to know that young Ruby Rose has been nominated as the leader of her own team, the Regality."

"She already told me the good news. Pity she's not of age yet, otherwise I'd have her bring her team over to my bar for a round of drinks."

"Didn't stop you from dragging your team to a bar before." Peter Port spoke up jovially, and they all shared a good laugh as they remembered the rowdy days of the past. Qrow Branwen was only fifteen when he dragged his older sister and his two teammates to a bar on the night of their Initiation for a party that lasted well until the next morning. It was a cheerful Peter Port who rounded up the wayward students and shipped them back to the Academy while they all nursed raging headaches, both from the copious amount of alcohol consumed and the incessant, self-serving spiel the portly-shaped professor delivered on the flight back. The stern scolding from the deputy headmistress only made the hammering in their heads worse.

Even Glynda cracked a smile at the memory, though it soon turned to a thin line as the atmosphere got heavier. "Anything else? What of the Hunters? We sent a distress beacon as soon as we could, and not one Huntsmen turned up."

Smile faded from Qrow's lips and he pursed them as he parted with the information. "The Council received them, alright. They didn't send any in your way though, stating that the Huntsmen forces were spread thin enough as it is, what with all the Grimm outbreaks and infestations around Vale. As for the military, the Council wanted them around the kingdom perimeter for any 'unforeseen' accidents."

"Distasteful excuses." One of the professors sniffed in disdain.

"It gets better," Qrow sneered, "They also said that with such an 'esteemed' individual like yourself as the headmaster, there would be no real need for concern, as you would be able to solve them by yourself, like you always tend to."

They all saw through the thinly veiled insults. "So they decide to endanger the lives of many just to get their pound of flesh?" A dark scowl adorned the witch. She understood that the Council perceived Ozpin as a thorn since Beacon was one of the few independent institutions not under the thumb of the Valean Government, but still…

Ozpin, to his credit, betrayed no hint of how he truly felt about the matter, his face locked in his usual tight indifference. "Some things never change, do they?"

"No, they don't."

"What I'd like to know," Oobleck piped in with another sip, "Is how you managed to acquire such information. Something tells me you didn't simply walk in through the door while they were holding those aforementioned conversations."

Qrow raised his brow, until he remembered that Bartholomew Oobleck was the most recent addition to the Beacon staff. "Not through a door, no." Qrow hinted with a teeth-baring smile.

Before Oobleck threw a follow-up question for clarification Qrow simply waved him off, "I'm running on a tight schedule at the moment. I'll contact you again later." He said as he glanced at Ozpin, and the screen went black.

"Interesting fellow." Oobleck tossed in his input.

"He has a knack for being in places he really shouldn't be." Glynda muttered.

That's what made him so useful, though. Ozpin smiled into his coffee.

* * *

" _Thief..."_

Jaune groaned, pulling the blanket closer to him.

" _Thief..."_

He ran like a ghost, his feet barely touching the ground. Yet no matter how fast he ran, he could hear the abomination getting closer and closer. He could barely make out the silhouette of people in the distance, and hope swelled up within him. He was saved! Just a little further-

Something jerked him back, a colossal pincer that tightened its grip around him, lifting him up into the air. He struggled to pull free, and screamed for help. They didn't move, staring at the inevitable outcome with frozen eyes.

The Death Stalker squeezed, and the ground rushed up to meet him. By cruel turn of fate the oblivion didn't swallow him yet, and the shadows stood over him wordlessly, before prying open his fingers, taking the very thing that cost him his and his team's life. The last thing he saw was their retreating form, leaving him alone, dying.

With blood pooling in his mouth, it took him every ounce of what little life he had left in him to yell:

 _"Give it back!"_

* * *

Jaune trudged to the dining hall before collapsing on the table next to Ren. "Rough night?" He heard the adept quietly ask.

"Yeah," came the hoarse reply. Looking up, he saw Ren pouring him a glass of water. With a nod of thanks he downed in one gulp. It didn't clear the fog in his head, but at least his throat no longer felt like he swallowed a handful of sand. "That's better. Thanks."

"Anytime." With that Ren went back to his breakfast. The grumbling of his stomach reminded him that he slept the night without a dinner, and soon Jaune was demolishing strips of bacon, only now realising just how hungry he was.

Too absorbed in his food, he wasn't aware of the presence next to him until Yang squeezed in between the two males, slinging her arms around their shoulders, hard. "S'up, ladies!"

"What was that for?!" Jaune cried after nearly choking on his food. Ren ducked under her arm with a look that said he didn't find her gesture amusing. Yang apparently did though, judging by her shit-eating grin.

"What? Can't a girl say 'morning' to her team?"

"Just say 'morning' like a normal person, then!"

"But where's the fun in that?" Yang grinned.

"Where's the fun in choking people while they're eating?" Jaune volleyed.

"That's exactly why it's so funny."

Jaune threw his hands up, and Yang laughed. Jumping over the table, she took the seat across Ren, who was pouring himself a cup from a coffee mug. She waved when Ruby entered the hall, and the petite girl claimed her spot next to her sister. Whatever enthusiastic greeting Yang had in reserve for Ruby died the moment they saw the dark circles under her eyes.

"Ruby? You okay? You're not sick or anything, are you?" Yang touched Ruby's brow in concern.

"Back off, sis. I'm fine." Ruby grouched, gently prying her hand away. She met Jaune's eyes, and offered a tired smile. "Morning, guys."

"Rough night?" Ren repeated the question he asked Jaune earlier.

"Couldn't sleep." Ruby mumbled dejectedly. "So, what do you guys wanna do today?"

The young leader of Regality tried to look as enthusiastic as possible, and normally it would've been genuine, but now it just looked strained. Yang looked even more troubled than before, and Jaune pushed away his plate, no longer hungry. Ren peered over the rim of his mug, silently taking in the sudden change in mood.

"Guys?" Ruby asked again.

"Uh-" He was cut off when the bell tolled in the distance, signalling the beginning of morning classes. "How about we talk about this later over lunch?" Jaune suggested instead.

"Works for me. C'mon, or we'll be late!" Yang yelled. None of the Regalities needed further prompts and joined the few straggling students in their mad dash for their morning classes.

* * *

"…Numerous theories in the past placed the Grimmkind's origins in the animals possessed by malevolent spirits, or even the twisted souls of animals given physical forms, though recent discoveries showed that…

Jaune's eyelids drooped as the professor's lectures turned to muted amalgamation of sounds in different pitches. They weren't even half-way through the class before his mind wandered off, his sleep-deprived mind coaxing him for a quick shut-eye, consequences be damned. He struggled to keep his eyes and ears open, truly he did, though he knew his almost non-existent academic persona was fighting a losing battle.

By the looks of it, Ruby beat him to it, her head buried under her arms as she gently dozed off, quietly snoring. Yang was worse, unashamedly leaning back on her chair as she snored, thin trail of drool lining the corner of her lips. Ren who sat to her right rested his face on his hand, occasionally jotting down the wisdom nuggets from the lecture.

"…As you may be aware, the Grimm's size and strength is proportional to its age; simply put, the longer a Grimm lives, the stronger and more dangerous it becomes. There are many evidences to support this, the titan-class Grimm being the most primary example. Now…" If the lecturer was aware of the student's attentive states or lack thereof, he did not show it, simply carrying on as he paced about the room, different images of Grimm filling up the wide projector on the wall.

Pyrrha and Blake were paying attention, their eyes sliding from the slides to the lecturer. Nora mumbled in her sleep, having given up after trying - and failing - to grab Ren's attention from the row just behind him. And Weiss…

Her ice-blue eyes surreptitiously took in the other students in the lecture hall, her gaze turning as frigid as her namesake when she noticed many students who slacked off, a clear indication that they weren't taking any of this seriously. Her scowl deepened when her eyes landed on the sleeping form of one Ruby Rose, and not for the first time since the previous day of Initiation ceremony, she wondered how someone as… childish and clueless ever ended up being a leader of a team.

The heiress mentally scoffed. Did they all think Beacon was just another academy? They were Hunters and Huntresses-in-training, not some lowly common teenagers! If they couldn't be bothered learning, how did they expect to survive the four arduous years of the Academy, much less fulfil their aspirations as Hunters and Huntresses?

The girl cloaked in red shuffled as she woke up with a small groan, blinking slowly in a sleepy haze, before going back to sleep once more, her incompetent companion following shortly after.

Weiss didn't realise she snapped the pen in half until she felt the gooey ink on her fingers, and she hastily excused herself out of the class in embarrassment, fully aware of many eyes following her to the door.

The feeling of cold water on her hand cooled down her temper somewhat, though not by much. It still irked her how two different people could be given the position of a leader, a position of heavy responsibility, despite one of them being clearly not deserving of the honour. Other leaders, she could understand, a little anyway. At least in cases of individuals like that Winchester, he had enough brawn to simply muscle his way through problems, however barbaric it may have seemed.

But Ruby Rose was literally a child, physically two years or younger than the rest and even more years behind in terms of mentality and maturity. And yet, how was it that it came to this? Why was someone like Ruby Rose allowed to stand on equal grounds with the others, with her?

She felt like breaking the mirror, though her manners easily prevented her from lashing out in such unprofessional fashion. Instead she settled for a glare, ignoring the itch of the scar that ran across her left eye.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked as she joined the rest of the Winterbournes on the table, Nora dragging her childhood friend to the circle, which in turn brought the Regalities along. Not that they seemed to mind, though.

Her brow automatically creased in a frown as she saw Ruby, babbling about nothing with her team and Nora. "Fine." Weiss curtly replied.

It was obvious that the heiress was anything but, though Pyrrha chose not to pry. The way how her partner looked daggers at the younger girl more or less spoke of the source of the heiress' ire, though the 'why' part still eluded her understanding. She didn't know her partner or others well enough to draw a finite conclusion for that issue. For now, at least.

None of them noticed Blake silently appraising them from the top of her book, or Nora's quick glances at her teammates when the weight of silence got heavier, before she returned to join the Regalities as if nothing happened.

"Hello. Jaune, right?" She turned to the blonde sitting beside her, who jumped when she uttered his name.

"Uh, hi." Jaune gave her an awkward smile. "You're… Pyre, was it?"

"Pyrrha." The redhead corrected with a giggle.

Jaune turned red in embarrassment. "O-oh, sorry! I'm not really good with names, so um…"

"It's alright." She didn't know why, but the fact that he couldn't even get her name right didn't offend her in the slightest. On the contrary, it felt nice. He didn't know who she was, only that she was another student like himself, just another student who wanted to make friends, like her.

And she liked that. Talking with Jaune, Pyrrha discovered, was easier than conversing with her teammates. He was somewhat shy and nervous, and he spoke in a way that showed he had little confidence in himself. But he was honest in his attempts to hold a conversation with her simply to get to know her better, not out of underlying motives. He didn't mindlessly ramble, nor did he give off any implications of finding her company distracting.

The flow of the conversation took a bumpy turn when the subject of family came to the fore. Jaune hastily changed the subject, and Pyrrha obliged. "So, is it true? I've heard that you and your team ran into one of the titan-class sized Grimm and managed to survive the encounter."

"Uh, well…" Jaune scratched his nose. "…We did, but we got lucky."

Pyrrha stared at the stammering blonde thoughtfully. His almost blasé recount of his experience seemed too simple to be believable. She was tactful enough to see that this was going down an uncomfortable lane though, and instead accepted the obvious fake answer with a nod. "I'm glad you got out safely, though."

"…I… yeah…" Jaune muttered, and Pyrrha was taken aback to hear the underlying bitterness.

"Jaune? Are you alright?"

It was difficult to smile when there was nothing to smile about. "Yeah."

Pyrrha felt the urge to pat him on the shoulder, to comfort him. Her hand only touched empty air when he abruptly stood up, declaring that he was done and walked off without looking back.

She turned her eyes from Jaune retreating form when she felt the ghostly prod of scrutiny, and Ruby Rose's silver eyes locked on to her own vibrant green, unidentifiable emotions swimming in those silver depths. Before Pyrrha could say anything, Ruby also left with a muttered excuse, ignoring the worried look on her older sister.

"Did something happen?" Blake asked quietly. Apparently she was privy to the whole exchange than her outwardly appearance of reading showed.

"I… don't know." Pyrrha admitted. She turned to Yang for any light to the matter, though the blonde shed none, shaking her head. In truth Yang did have a hunch; Ruby _was_ her younger sister, after all. But she wasn't comfortable with the idea of broadcasting it to others, especially when she didn't even know the others that well.

Weiss, surprisingly, had no snide remark for the occasion, eyeing her cup with a faraway look.

* * *

Ruby strode down the corridor, looking for the familiar mop of blonde in the sea of blurred outline of the crowd. So far she had little success, much to her annoyance. Honestly, she wasn't that far behind him, and already she lost him! How did that make sense? As if the day wasn't bad enough, too.

The bell tolled once more, and soon she found herself on her lonesome in the corridor. This didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. This wasn't the first time she bunked a class, after all.

"Miss Rose?"

Ozpin descended down the stairs, his ever-present eloquent cane in his hand.

"Professor Ozpin?"

"I believe the classes are about to begin. Is there a particular reason why you're wondering about, or do you need some assistance in navigating your way?"

"No, it's… I was actually trying to find Jaune." Ruby confessed. "But I don't know where he went off to, and… I just… didn't feel like going back to class."

Instead of a lecture about her lack of motivation, she was instead given a light pat on the shoulder. "Something troubles you." The headmaster observed.

When she wordlessly nodded, Ozpin tapped the watch on his wrist. "Perhaps we can talk this over in my office, if you wish."

* * *

Ruby stared in awe as she took in the headmaster's office. A large, circular room of austere design and little embellishment, with only a couple bookshelves and a table adorning the otherwise spacious interior. What truly amazed her was the intricate networks of cogs and gears that spun on the walls, the floor, even his desk, encased in walls of opaque glass. What would've been a chandelier was replaced with an intricate structure of wheels and gears hanging from the ceiling. Behind where the headmaster sat was the window, or to be more specific, the top half of the large clock, the ornate clock hands casting shadow over the room as it flew around the hours.

"Here. Drink it while it's still hot." Ozpin placed a steaming mug of hot chocolate, and she took it in her hands, enjoying the sweet scent of the drink.

"Thank you."

Minutes passed in silence, punctuated by the quiet sips and the gentle clicks of rotating machinery. Truthfully Ruby had no idea how to begin. The last – and the first – time she sat across Ozpin was shortly after her run-in with the notorious criminal, Roman Torchwick, and the chaotic frenzied battle that ensued shortly after when Glynda Goodwitch entered the fray. Back then she was still running on her adrenaline rush, giving her the rare boost in confidence when she outright declared her dreams of being a Huntress.

Now, it was difficult to get the words out. She knew what she wanted to say, but she just couldn't say it out loud.

"Tell me how it went."

"H-huh? What?" Ruby stuttered, not having expected him to speak first.

Ozpin crossed his fingers as he leaned a little closer. "Our surveillance equipment were badly damaged. We've only seen glimpses of the horror you and your team has faced down in Emerald Forest, Miss Rose. We may not have the whole picture, but we have enough pieces to make accurate assumptions."

"…" Perception wasn't usually Ruby's strong suit, though she somehow knew that Ozpin knew, or had a good idea of what was eating her in the inside.

"And that's not all, is it?" The headmaster added, his eyes softening in sympathy.

Perhaps it was the man's comforting voice, or the silent acceptance that promised she would not be judged. Whatever it was, Ruby soon spilled everything she had bottled up inside her for the past week, a long, difficult week. The airship accident, being stranded and running for her life, and actually watching someone's life extinguished right before her eyes. It was a harsh revelation for her, the truth of what it took to be a Huntress laid bare.

"It wasn't your fault, Miss Rose." Ozpin reassured gently.

"But we could've done something. Anything." She whispered, wiping her tears as she imagined all those who died, the citizens from the airship, the fellow students who met their ends in the hands of the colossal Grimm.

"Sometimes, things in life spiral out of our control. We may be Hunters and Huntresses, but there's only so much we can do, Miss Rose. We can certainly try our best, but in the end, we cannot save everyone." It was a bitter pill of truth, one that even he, after all these years, had difficulty swallowing.

Ruby shook her head defiantly. It wasn't going to stop her from trying. Otherwise what meaning was there in being a Huntress?

Ozpin's sigh was barely audible. He didn't have the heart to refute her naivety. "Then grow stronger, Miss Rose. Fight for those who cannot fend for themselves."

Ruby tearfully nodded. "I will, professor. I will."

* * *

Weiss sighed for the umpteenth time, the source of her distress innocently clutched in her fingers, dimly lighting the room. It was a small classroom, one that was mainly used for group studies rather than lectures, and it was not far from the first-year dorms. She didn't need to walk far to reach her room. Better yet, it was empty, and she wanted it to stay that way.

She clicked on her scroll, only to see that not a minute has passed since she last checked. And still no notifications. She checked her call log and messages, just in case she happened to miss any. There was nothing, as it has been for the past several days.

Nothing.

A frustrated growl escaped her lips, and she flipped through the list of contacts, and was about to select the 'call' button when she stopped. She knew he didn't like it when she called him through his direct number unless it was an emergency, and the definition of emergency, in his term, meant life-threatening events or incidents, likely involving those animalistic terrorist group out for blood, more specifically a Schnee's.

Instead her finger hovered over another contact, and soon the sound of ringing phone emanated from her scroll, the otherwise light chime echoing rather hauntingly in the unlit room devoid of life save for hers.

One ring. Two. Three, four, five…

Her breath hitched when it clicked, and a smartly dressed woman came to life on the screen. "Miss Schnee? How can I help you?"

"I-" Weiss cleared her throat, "I wish to talk with my father, if he is free."

"My apologies, Miss, but your father is currently busy at the moment." The secretary apologised, though her cold neutral expression did not thaw.

"It won't take long. I simply need a minute." Weiss snapped.

"Unfortunately, he is _very_ busy at the moment." The secretary repeated coldly.

"He can't even spare a minute for his own daughter?"

"As I said-"

Weiss cut in angrily, her patience tested and running thin. "Spare me the excuses! I don't want to hear any more of it! Now-"

"He explicitly stated that he was not to be disturbed, from _anyone_." The woman spoke in a clipped tone, her face still kept in that static expressionless visage that incensed the heiress.

"Fine, I shall contact him later, then." Not bothering to wait for a reply she terminated the call. Then her scroll flew across the room, hitting the wall hard and bouncing off, webs of cracks running through the glass screen.

Her lips curled back in a snarl. She knew her father was a cold man, but was it so much to ask for him to show that he cared by at least calling her? Or even checking up on her? His last words before she left was that he expected great things from her, as befitting a Schnee. Not only has she passed, she was given the position of a leader! And yet, she heard nothing from her father. Did he even care?

"Probably not." Weiss bitterly spat as she already knew the answer. Why would he, when he already had a better, more worthy successor to his legacy? After all, what Weiss could do, Winter could do much better, always better.

All her life, she tried hard to be better, better than her sister for just once, to claim the limelight for even a moment. But Winter's shadow was too big.

At that moment she wanted nothing more than to scream and yell. Cry and cry until there was nothing left, until the last of her melted away into nothingness.

Outside, Pyrrha quietly stood up and padded back to their room. She pretended to be asleep when she heard the door to their room open much later. She wasn't planning on bringing it up; after all, Weiss was too proud to admit that she was crying, and Pyrrha wasn't a tattler.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter was a bit of a tricky one to write. I wanted to use this chapter to show different character interactions, rather than just focusing on Jaune and Ruby. Hope it turned out alright.**

 **I did mention earlier that from December life will get more hectic, and it will, since I'll be working my first 8/9 to 5 shifts starting tomorrow. What time I have left will be devoted to studying and other aspects of life, so updates won't be as frequent, unfortunately. I FINALLY got my restricted driver's licence though, so this chapter is (one of) my way of celebrating.**

 **As usual, thank you to all who f/f/r'd. It's good to see how some people don't mind the overall dark tone of the story, one particular reviewer even suggested changing the fic rating to 'M'. To be honest I'm not quite sure if this fic merits an 'M' rating... does it? Hmm...**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading!**


	8. Act 1: Chapter 8

**ACT 1: Doubts**

* * *

"I seek strength, not to be greater than others, but to fight my greatest enemy, the doubts within myself."

\- P. C. Cast

* * *

It was raining, and with it came the coldness abnormal for this time of the year.

He didn't care, though. Rain pelted his armoured form, water dripping down his head, yet he remained still, not even shivering for warmth. His eyes lingered on the stone plaque before him, lost in his own world, oblivious to all, even when his teammates walked up to him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Sky's tear-ridden face, mouth thin in sorrow. Dove knelt before the memorial stone, setting down a bouquet of flower before stepping back, head bowed low with a mutter of prayer.

Russel kept his distance out of respect, letting his teammates grieve for the loss of one who were close to them. Out of the four members that made up Cardinals, Russel was the newest addition to the group – the remaining four, now three, have already been friends from the start, having come from the same village. He could only imagine the pain of losing someone important to him.

"You sure about that?" Cardin asked, blankly staring at the tombstone.

"Yeah. Them seniors said so. Those Regality lot were the ones who found the bodies and reported it to the profs," Dove muttered.

"And stole the chess pieces for themselves." Cardin clenched his fists. "Thieving bastards."

The word spread like wildfire. The seniors who happened to run patrol responded to distress signals, and happened to find the Regalities as they battled the titanic Death Stalker and pushed it off the edge of the cliff. Not long after the Regalities returned, people regarded them with various expressions of awe and doubt. If their undeserving fame wasn't enough, the headmaster himself christened them as a formal team, neglecting to address the fact that another team of students lost their lives, including his sister.

To top it off, one of those bastards was so pathetic he couldn't even fight properly. The fact that such an incompetent loser lived while his sister rotted six feet under the ground was the proof that life was unfair as hell.

There they stood in silence, letting rain wash them in its tears. Eventually Dove cleared his throat, mumbling that it was getting late. Nudging his partner, he led Russel back to the campus, Sky watching them leave before turning to his childhood friend. "We should get going, too."

"You go on ahead. I'll… I'll catch up."

Sky shook his head. "It's getting dark soon. We can always come back tomorrow, right?"

"I… I guess so." Cardin relented with a sigh. He let his partner loop his arm around his shoulder, leading him back to their dorm, though he spared longing glances as he did so. Truthfully, he didn't want to leave. She always complained of being cold, and it always fell on him to fix that. How was he supposed to do that when she was sleeping under the ground, and he above?

His fist clenched, already wishing the day was over so he could return to her side. "Tomorrow." He promised.

* * *

Normally the library was a haven for the quiet bookworm, though not for the first time Blake came to find that Weiss' presence had the tendency to throw a damper in everything.

Said heiress was currently looking over sheets of paper, the frown on her face growing more and more pronounced the longer she perused its content, while Nora sat meekly across the table, for once not in her usual energetic self, but fidgeting in her seat and biting her nails. Pyrrha sat on the side observing the scene, her attention jumping from her own set of homework and her partner, no doubt ready to jump in in case her partner exploded, which was more or less a given when it involved Nora. Weiss' stern, no-nonsensical side clashed horribly with the ball of boundless energy that was Nora Valkyrie.

Eventually Weiss set down the essay, pinching the bridge of her nose. Fearing for the worst, Nora tentatively asked, "How did I do?"

There was a long pause as Weiss considered how best to give her answer. "Disastrous."

Nora deflated, though Weiss was only getting warmed up. "Firstly, you lack even the rudimentary grammar skills, so much so it hurts my eyes just to read through this… atrocity. Secondly, you're completely off the topic! We were tasked to produce essays regarding the commonly encountered Grimm and various ways in which they can be countered! A 'grenade to the face' is not a universal solution!"

"But it works!" Nora protested. "You shoot them, they blow up!"

"That's not the point!" Weiss argued.

That's when Pyrrha stepped in. "It's okay, Weiss. Nora? How about we help you with your paper, is that okay?"

Nora brightened, though Weiss frostily cut in. "No. This is the third time you helped her with her studies, and the last two you more or less did her work for her."

Turning to Nora, she pointed her dainty finger at Nora, her voice none too friendly. "As for you, learn to pull your own weight! I won't tolerate any dead weights on my team."

"But- but I'm not a dead weight!"

Weiss snorted. "Really? Whose fault was it that we had to waste a whole day re-painting the room because _someone_ thought it was a brilliant idea to set off an explosive indoors? Or what about copying all our notes because you never paid any attention in class? I also happen to remember it was you who destroyed our team locker because you were daydreaming about lunch while handling your weapon! Do you finally see it now? Or do I have to give you more examples in case you don't?"

Lips quivering, Nora glared at Weiss through misty eyes. "Why do you have to be so mean?" With that Nora ran out, ignoring her teammates crying out her name.

Blake set down her book, and, with a parting glare at the heiress took off after her partner. Nora, for all her faults, was her partner after all. That, and she really didn't want to remain in the same space with the insufferable heiress.

The Winterbournes' little tiff didn't go unnoticed, and Pyrrha was soon guiding her companion out the door. Once they found themselves in the remote part of the campus did Pyrrha finally spoke, "Don't you think that was rather harsh?"

"Pyrrha, you're a great person and a better partner, but you're being too soft on her. If she doesn't learn to solve her own problems by herself, how can she expect to last four years in Beacon, much less become a Huntress? No, that wake-up call's been a long time coming."

"She's only seventeen, Weiss."

" _We're_ seventeen, and we don't make excuses for our shortcomings. And in a few years, unless we prepare for it, we'll be thrust into a life where a single mistake could lead to our deaths." Weiss' eyes hardened.

"Weiss…"

"I'm sorry, Pyrrha. But no." Her partner, for all her good qualities, could be a bit of a pushover. And the last thing Weiss needed was for her team to be coddled.

* * *

For the third time in one morning Jaune landed on his rear, his arms numb while his legs shook. With a shaky breath he stood back up, finding the task becoming increasingly difficult with every fall.

His opponent, however, seemed fine, too fine in his opinion, twirling his sword expertly in his hand, a condescending smirk that Jaune was far too used to seeing. In hindsight, blindly charging at an opponent wasn't a bright idea, though he honestly didn't expect another fighter garbed in armour to move that fast. Or was he just slow? He didn't pause to ponder as this time the teen pushed the offensive, swinging his Hallstatt sword.

Jaune raised his shield, and it clanged against the blow. He couldn't see his enemy over his shield however, and suddenly he was jerked down when something snagged his foot and tripped him. Landing hard on the floor, he found the tip of the sword inches from his throat, and Jaune knew that the fight was over.

"Winner: Dove Bronzewing." Glynda announced. She said nothing when the two combatants stepped out of the arena stage, though her gaze seemed to grow sharper when Jaune walked past.

"How long was that?" He heard someone whisper.

"Wasn't counting, but I'm betting it was five minutes. Probably less."

"Isn't he an Arc though?"

"Nah, he probably has a same last name."

"Wonder how he even got in in the first place?"

"Bet he's the Grimm bait in his team. I honestly can't see why else he'd be still here."

His cheek alit, he bowed his head in shame, scurrying back to his seat beside Ruby, who patted him on the arm sympathetically. Yang just shook her head, while Ren stared ahead as the next two fighters were called up to the stage. On seats adjacent to the Regalities, he felt the sharp jabs of scrutiny, and he turned to see the white-haired girl – Weiss – glaring at him. Jaune tried his hardest to ignore it, pretending nothing fazed him when all he really wanted to do was to be anywhere but here.

Murmurs broke out in the crowd, and some leaned forward closer when Pyrrha Nikos stepped onto the platform. Waves of excitement fell over the crowd, and Jaune didn't understand why. Domremy was nestled in the arms of nature, far from the main cities and the ever-changing currents of the worldly affairs. He didn't know the kind, gentle red-head he conversed with was an internationally recognised celebrity until her high-class partner forcefully reminded him, and even then he didn't fully understand. That is, until now.

Pyrrha practically glided across the platform, her movements full of purpose and grace. She dodged her opponent's strikes fluidly while countering with her own flurry of attacks that depleted the Aura level. When her opponent hit the floor, the crowd cheered, and Jaune let out a breath he was unconsciously holding in, and with it came the familiar wave of nausea.

Beside him Ruby was bouncing in her seat in excitement. The combat class was one of the few the young scythe-wielder was looking forward to, and seeing the champion's spectacular display of skills in the stage fuelled that burning urge to show her mettle. Even before Glynda finished announcing her name Ruby was already on the platform, her Crescent Rose already unfolded in its unholy form.

"…Right." Glynda cleared her throat. "As I was saying, the next match will be Ruby Rose against Weiss Schnee."

Unlike Ruby, Weiss was the depiction of calmness as she walked on to the stage. She said nothing as she crossed her arm, waiting for the match to begin as Glynda adjusted the control panel to gauge their approximate Aura level for the duel.

"Hey, Weiss right?" Ruby stepped forward, hand outstretched, trying to put on a bright smile. "We haven't had much time to get to know each other before." The conversation hung awkwardly, as Ruby rummaged through her head to find the appropriate way to continue without sounding awkward, or more so than it already was.

"I guess, what I'm trying to say is, what do you say to being friends?"

Weiss smiled, though Ruby found no trace of warmth behind it. That smile grew feral when she unhooked her rapier strapped to her side, pointing it at Ruby. "That remains to be seen. For now, let's see if you're worth my time."

"Begin!" Glynda signalled.

In the blink of an eye Weiss closed the gap between them, thrusting her rapier forward. Unprepared for the pre-emptive strike, Ruby lost her footing, though by stroke of luck leaned back just as the glinting steel skewered the air where her head resided moments ago. Recovering quickly, she jumped back, only to find Weiss hot on her trails, slashing and stabbing relentlessly, hardly giving her the time to swing her scythe.

"Wa-wait!" She breathed as she blocked the attacks with Crescent Rose. Weiss snarled, her attacks growing more vicious. "I said wait!"

"You really expect me to wait for you? Here's a lesson for you, little girl." She stabbed her rapier downward, and a white circle glowed around Ruby's feet, before she was thrown into the air by an unknown force. Unable to retaliate, she caught glimpses of a large sword made of ice materialising out of thin air, ready to strike her like a ball on her way down. In mid-air her Semblance was useless, and the only thing she could do was to curl up, bracing for the impact.

Her Crescent Rose took the brunt of the damage, though it didn't negate the momentum of the swing, and Ruby struck the ground, hard. As she coughed to clear the fog in her head, she found Weiss looming over her, her ice blue eyes ablaze. "If you let your guard down, you're dead. If you're not going to take anything seriously, then don't bother staying here."

Ruby could only stare as Weiss walked off, Glynda's declaration of her victory sailing over her head.

* * *

"That stuck-up bitch!" Yang may have been a sailor in a past life, but her sentiments were heartfelt, all the same.

"And you!" Perhaps spoken too soon, Yang rounded on her sister, who laid on her bed, her back turned to her team. "How could you be so careless? If you tried, you could've kicked her ass!"

"Yang…" Jaune tried to diffuse her ire, a mistake on his part as she temporarily whirled on him.

"Shut it, we'll get to _you_ later." Turning back to her sister, she crossed her arms. "Why didn't you fight back Rubes? Christ, you took out Grimm twice her size without even trying before!"

"I didn't mean to," Ruby groaned into her pillow. "I just… I just wanted to be friends with her. How was I supposed to know she'd flip like that?"

Yang's mouth opened, then closed, then opened and closed again. Eventually she settled with, "You actually want someone like that as your friend?" The incredulity in her tone was not feigned.

"Just leave me alone, sis." Ruby whined.

"Fine!" Throwing herself on her bed with a huff, she spared Jaune a heated scowl, making him wince. "Now, as for you, Jauney. I know we were planning on taking this slow, but after your _brilliant_ performance this morning, I think we should speed things up a bit."

"You know, I've been thinking," Jaune hastily spoke, "You all have very different style of fighting."

"Great observation, Captain Obvious. Would you like a cookie?"

"I wouldn't mind one," Ruby mumbled. Her opinion went unheard.

"I mean, I'm the only one who fights with a sword, or try to anyway. I mean, Ruby and Ren use bladed weapons, so I suppose it's not too different, but-"

"Get to the point," Yang urged impatiently.

"What I'm trying to say is, since your fighting styles are so individualised, how will that help me get better? It's not like you guys can teach me how to swing a sword or something."

"It's simple, Jaune. We try to hit you, and you do your best to not end up as a new paint job on the wall," Yang casually tossed in.

As Jaune blanched in horror, Ruby quickly assured him. "She's joking! She's joking!" She poked her head down from the upper bunk bed, eyeing her sister in suspicion. "You _are_ joking, right?"

Jaune didn't like the pause before Yang gave her answer, "…Yes…?"

Ren looked up from his arms maintenance. With a long flat look at the well-endowed blonde, he threw in his own two lien. "She's joking." Probably. He neglected to add in that last bit, though.

Jaune laughed nervously. Yang's gaze hardened when she rounded back to him. "In all seriousness though, you really should train a lot more. You're lucky that was just a spar; if he really was trying to kill you, you wouldn't have lasted a second."

"Yang." Ruby gave her sister a dark look.

The young Arc's shoulders sagged. "…Sorry." Recollection of the past week flashed through his eyes. The earlier comment of 'Grimm bait' suddenly came to mind.

For some reason Yang looked even madder. "Fucking hell, is 'sorry' the only thing you say every time you fail?"

Jaune gaped, not expecting such aggressive response. Before he could throw his own piece of mind back, Ruby was ushering him out the door, not even bothering to spare her sister a glance as she did so. The door shut none too gently, and Yang sprawled on her bed with a look of disbelief and hurt.

"Don't you think you went a bit too far?" Ren quietly inquired from his chair. He didn't mean just with Jaune, but her sister, as well.

"…I know." Like the very element she wielded her emotions burned passionately. That also extended to her tendency to flare up in anger at the drop of a hat. It was a flaw in her character that afflicted her since childhood, and had yet to show any signs of improving.

Internally she admitted that she was rather harsh on the two socially inept member of team RALY. Still, while she loved her sister dearly, her stubborn naivety was sometimes difficult to deal with. So fixated on the fairy tales, she saw the world through the tinted glass coated with sugar. Granted, she matured somewhat after the terrific ordeal she had to go through, though it hadn't completely shattered that window.

Jaune, on the other hand, was a different matter.

Truthfully it wasn't his lack of combat skills that bothered her. Heck, everyone had to start somewhere, and she herself was probably the worst hand-to-hand combat specialist back when she first took up the training. No, it was his mentality that was self-deprecating at best, and self-destructive at worst, that bothered her. She caught glimpses of a Hunter he could be back when they faced down that giant Death Stalker, yet afterwards he reverted back to his usual self, the meek, weak person who constantly doubted himself.

In general she hated people like that, those who wasted time and energy drowning themselves in self-pity when they could've easily used it to become a better person. Add to the fact that one such person was her sister's partner, and it was a testimony of Yang's willpower that she didn't explode much sooner.

Like all other students they were soon going to be flooded with schoolwork and training. On top of that Ruby had to shoulder the burdens of leadership. As her older sister, she refused to let her sister's partner to add to that burden as well.

* * *

"Sorry about that. Yang does sometimes flip out over little things, but…"

"No, she… she was right." Jaune sighed.

Ruby shook her head. "She wasn't. And she was out of line. How could she even say those kind of things to you when she doesn't even know you that well?"

' _And you do?'_ "Let's… let's just… leave it, yeah?" He felt the sudden urge to run off to somewhere where no one could see him, and just… be.

Ruby looked anything but ready to drop the issue, but tactfully agreed, a somewhat uncommon occasion when she could read social cues and act accordingly.

The two walked in uncomfortable silence, aimlessly wandering about with no specific goals in mind. Eventually Ruby tried to break through the silence. "You know what cheers me up? Stuffing myself with sweet stuff."

Jaune offered a strained smile. "Maybe next time, Ruby."

"Okay, then how about-"

"Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"I…" He struggled, unsure how to say it without coming off as rude or outright dismissive. "I just… can I just… be on my own for a bit?"

"O-oh." Ruby visibly deflated, and Jaune felt terrible for being the source of her distress. "…Okay. Do you still want to train tonight?"

"…Sure."

"Right. See you around…"

Jaune watched as the smaller girl left, torn between relief and guilt. He was so used to being on his own, the sudden omnipresent human contact was as suffocating as it was welcoming. Even Ruby, who he went through so much in so few days with, was no exception.

And yet, he really didn't like to see her upset, much less when he was the reason for it, while Ruby has been nothing but kind and understanding. With a humourless chuckle he once more came to realise just how much he was lacking compared to his peers, even to those who were younger than him.

Lost in his thoughts he ran into someone, or rather something, as it felt like bouncing back against a wall. Rubbing his face gingerly, he looked up, an apology on the tip of his lips when he noticed the other person towered over him with a thunderous look.

"Um… can I help you… or something?" Jaune cautiously asked as he tried to stand back up. He wasn't prepared for the violent haymaker that flew until his face bounced against the marble floor. Crying out in pain, He could only hold his arm protectively in front of him as the towering brunette followed up with flurry of kicks and punches. When it abruptly ceased, Jaune's eyelid cracked open, and saw that his hulking assailant was being restrained by three other teens that Jaune surmised were the brute's teammates. Even with those three holding him back though, it looked as if they were barely managing the feat, the tall brunette snarling and struggling like a ravenous beast. Or a Grimm.

"Oi, stop it! Not here, goddamnit!"

"He's right, now's not a good time for this!"

The giant shook off their grasps, and Jaune braced himself for further beating. Instead he felt a large hand grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, shaking him roughly. "You got off light this time, asshole. But next time…" He let the threat hang, and pushed him violently, before spinning on his heels and left, his teammates trudging behind him. He recognised one of them as that Bronzewing fellow he fought earlier, who spared him a scornful look before the foursome disappeared.

Once he was certain that they were gone did he drag himself back on his feet, before he limped to the nearest bathroom and locking himself in one of the stalls. Only then did he let his mind wonder. Just who the hell was that? What the hell was all that about? Why did he do that?

Screw that. Why was everyone out to get him? Because he was pretty damn sure that was the case. All those stares, people whispering loudly, not caring whether he heard them or not, because, let's face it, what could he do about it, except to just grit his teeth and bare it? Like he has done for the past god-knows-how-many-years?

He came to Beacon to fulfil his dream of being a Hunter. But really, has anything changed, ever?

He sighed, burying his face into his hands. Just why did everything have to be so complicated and so bloody difficult?

"What the fuck was all that about?"

* * *

"No words from her yet?"

Ozpin looked up from the series of reports he was currently reviewing, though he didn't bother asking who Glynda meant. "No, though I did not expect to hear from her so soon."

"It has been nearly a week, though." The deputy headmistress muttered, half of her attention focused on the written request for clearing out acres of unused land for pasture. Beacon Academy was unusual in the aspect of being partly self-sufficient, a separate area cordoned off for growing and harvesting fields of grain, corn, and vegetables, tended to by various staff, who also took care of the livestock. What the Academy lacked was transported via supply ships, like various materials and goods.

Normally the tasks of resource management and logistics was shared by several other staff members, though for various reasons relating to duty and/or health, the bulk of it fell on her shoulders, exponentially increasing her workload and consequently the building throbbing in her head.

"It wasn't an easy request, after all. Perhaps we should be glad that she didn't outright refuse." Ozpin reasoned, setting aside the report and opening another with a sigh. "If time was all she needed, then better for her to do so slowly and carefully than rushing it and risk detection."

Glynda frowned but did not refute him. A small part of her wondered whether her former pupil's tardiness was rearing its ugly head again. Given Iris Arc's current seat in the Guild could have easily forced her to fix her flaws, though as the saying went, old habits die hard.

As if to banish any lingering doubt she reserved for the former Beacon student, Ozpin's scroll chimed in notification. A simple note preceded the content.

"I've kept my end of the deal. Make sure you keep yours." Glynda read. The note disappeared seconds later, replaced by a flood of dossier filling the screen upon unlocking the folder, one file listing names, complete with images, while the other carried encrypted audio and visual transmissions. Some of the files were scrambled, gibberish dotting where texts should have been, whether out of precaution or errors in data transmission he didn't know.

"By the gods, she managed to relay this much information? Without even getting caught?" Glynda asked, impressed.

"I'm more concerned that the Guild harboured so many secrets." Ozpin narrowed his eyes. The Venator Guild was portrayed as an organisation affiliated with the Atlesian Government, consisting of various Hunters and Huntresses handpicked due to their exceptional grades and prowess in combat. As only the crème de la crème of combat institution graduates were chosen, it wasn't uncommon for Beacon graduates to be given invitations to join the association. Iris Arc, while an aspiring Huntress with an impressive set of credentials, was not a unique exception.

Glynda couldn't resist the urge for an eye-roll. "Everyone has secrets they'd rather keep away from the public eyes. But does that make all of us a threat?"

"Perhaps not," Ozpin admitted. "All the same, I'd prefer to remain cautious."

"You don't give James enough credits. Do you really think he'll turn on you, after everything you two have been through?" Glynda asked.

"It's not James that concerns me. It's those who he answers to that I'm wary of."

The deputy headmistress didn't bother replying to that one. She was far too used to his eccentric paranoid view regarding heavily armed organisations of Atlas. Then again, no government existed without their share of backroom dealings.

* * *

Weiss casually strolled through the many tiled paths that flowed through islands of flowers and trees like a pristine river. Though the Schnee estate had its own lavish garden, it's grandeur was like a flickering candlelight compared to the bright glowing spheres of lantern lights that illuminated the paths. It was beautiful, as if she was walking through the hallowed garden of Eden itself.

Her perambulation was as much for calming the tempest raging in her head as much as it was for leisure, however temporary the reprieve was. Spotting a polished wooden bench, she claimed her spot in the middle, staring upwards at the glitters of gems that dotted the dark heaven above, tugging her conscious up and up until she lost herself in its vast arms…

" _Enough." Blake declared as she marched into their room._

" _What?" Weiss looked up from her assignment. Pyrrha paused her writing mid-stroke._

" _You dictate us around. You ignore our input. You don't even treat us as your teammate." Blake listed, her yellow eyes taking on a dangerous gleam. "How can you expect us to follow your lead when all you care about is yourself?"_

" _Excuse me?" Taken aback by the sudden accusation, Weiss snapped as she set her pen down. "Since when-"_

" _All those 'daily schedules' you set up for us, your casual dismissal whenever we make suggestions, and don't even get me started on how you treated Nora this morning." Blake glared._

" _Blake…" Pyrrha quietly spoke, wanting to stop another argument from breaking out but unsure how to do so._

" _Pardon me for trying to keep us from being failures, then!" The chair scraped the carpet floor as Weiss shot to her feet, shooting the black-haired bookworm a cold frown. "I put so much effort in trying to better ourselves only to help us become the Huntresses we want to be!"_

" _Liar." Was the scathing reply. "We all know the real reason. You just don't want us to embarrass_ you _, because in the end, that's all that matters, isn't it? You don't really care about us."_

" _How dare you!" Weiss wasn't usually of volatile temperament, but for some reason today was different. Maybe it had something to do with the throbbing headaches that persisted throughout the whole day, maybe it was the lack of sleep. Or perhaps the comforting touch of denial over her eyes and ears didn't cover enough to block out what she didn't want to see and hear._

" _Then again, what would you know about being considerate? You're a Schnee." Blake snarled. She then decided to twist the knife. "Headmaster Ozpin made a mistake in making you the leader."_

" _Blake, please." Pyrrha grabbed Blake by her arm, tugging it. "That's enough, we should talk about this later when we're clear-headed."_

 _Blake seemed like she wanted to protest, though she eventually relented, her face softened._

 _Weiss, on the other hand, was just getting started. "How dare you say that to me, when you don't even know me?! What gives you the right?!"_

 _The Winterbournes could only gape, Pyrrha looking as if she wanted to reach out to her partner, while Blake's face turned to stone blank, unreadable emotions cycling through her yellow eyes. No one tried to stop her as she roughly pushed past them, before breaking out into a sprint. By the time she wiped her eyes clean, ornate wrought iron gates stood before her, swinging open with a sigh as the world erupted in colours, cast in dim lights._

 _The sweet scents of many flowers that inhabited this haven mixed to a pleasant combination of aroma, and she felt the dark clouds in her head slowly melt away. Not completely, but just enough for the odd rays of light to pierce through the shroud._

 _Free of the emotional chains, she mulled over her past actions, and grudgingly came to a conclusion; Blake was right. Sure, her slight against her as a person was uncalled for, but Blake's analytic listing of her faults were more or less spot on. Her driving her Winterbournes to the point of extremities wasn't necessarily for their benefit, but rather for hers. She wanted to make her team the best, to stand above the rest of their peers, and take pride in the fact that it was due to her exemplary skills as a leader that made it all possible. She had no qualms about the price she had to pay if she could only see it happen._

 _Yes, in hindsight it was rather selfish of her. Still, she just wanted to be the best. She wanted recognition, she wanted others' praises for her achievements. To be worthy of her family's genuine approval. Was that so much to ask?_

She looked to the skies above as in search for her answer.

Despite its vastness, it remained silent, offering her no solace in her plight.

* * *

"Keep your shield up!" Ruby instructed as she swung her sniper-scythe.

He did, then immediately ducked. A wise move on his part, as the blade of her sweetheart sliced off the tip of the shield.

"Christ, Ruby! Are you trying to cut my head off or what?"

"Shit! I-I mean, oops." Ruby backed off with a sheepish look. "Sorry."

Putting aside the fact that he could've easily lost his head if he did as she instructed, he threw the round shield to the side. The standard gear provided by the school was decent, but it was nowhere near the level of his old shield. Ruby took it up on herself to re-create his heirloom, though after inspecting the FUBAR remains of the shield she deemed it was forged from a special kind of metal, one that was not on the Beacon Forge inventory. They were lucky to find a contact detail for someone who did supply them, though it wasn't due to arrive for several more days. Until then, he had to make do with what he could find.

"That's okay." He breathed. He could've attributed his lacklustre performance – both now and the combat class earlier today – to the cumbersome equipment, though he knew that in reality the problem lied with him. Always him. "Can we just, call it a day?"

Ruby agreed, and the two Regalities sat down for a breather, one more winded than the other.

The training compound was a vast hall-like facility, stocked with the usual necessities for generations' worth of training, and it was clear by many scratch marks left on the training equipment and dummies, like Hunters and Huntresses leaving their own marks as they passed through the years in Beacon.

It was large enough to accommodate easily over a hundred personnel. Currently its only occupants were himself and his partner. And he was thankful for the small mercy, as that meant less need to feel self-conscious of his weaknesses and obvious lack of skills as a girl two years his junior and a head and a half shorter wiped the already polished floor with him. Over and over.

"You did great, Jaune!" That was what Ruby always said after their training ended. At first, Jaune believed it. Having survived the encounters with the nightmarish Grimm instilled the much-needed confidence in himself. It was the case of 'what more could life throw at me?' that allowed himself to believe that maybe he did have a place amongst the skilled elites.

But it was Ruby. She wasn't her sister, brutally blunt to the point of insensitivity. No, Ruby's fault was that she was too considerate. Too considerate of Jaune's feelings to state what was so obvious to the both of them.

"Anyone in there?" Ruby knocked her fist lightly on his head.

He tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace instead. "Yeah, and he's not happy that you interrupted him."

She gave him an uneasy smile. The rest of their trek back to their room was filled with silence, Jaune too lost in his thoughts and Ruby alternating between wanting to give him space and breaching the wall to shake the truth out of him.

"So, what happened while I was gone?" Jaune tried to keep his tone light-hearted.

"Nothing much. Oh wait, you remember Nora, right? From team WNBN?"

Jaune nodded with a shudder. The sight of a human downing a jug's worth of coffee followed by emptying a whole container of maple syrup down the throat wasn't something he could forget easily.

"Yeah, her. Anyways, she just barged into our room not long after you left. She seemed really upset, but she didn't say why."

"Huh…"

Ruby sighed impatiently. "Jaune, what's wrong?"

"What are you talking about?"

Ruby turned to block him, arms crossed. "Is this about this morning? Listen, I know Yang can be kind of, well, blunt at times, but-"

"No, it's not- not really..." Jaune cast his eyes down.

"Jaune," her arms unfolded, instead hooking around his. "Look at me, please. I just want to help-"

"Of course you do. I mean, since when could I ever do anything on my own?" Jaune muttered.

"T-that's not true!"

"Like hell it's not!" Jaune shot back. "Yang pretty much called me useless to my face, and you know what the funny thing is? She's not the first to say that, not by a long shot."

"You're not! You're not useless!" Ruby gripped him by the shoulder and yanked him forward.

"And how do you know that?" Jaune asked, his tone almost mocking.

"Because _I'm_ still here! Who do you think was down there in that forest with me, stranded and running for our lives? If you were useless, I wouldn't have made it out of that forest alive! I'm only here because of _you_!" Ruby all but yelled, and Jaune was startled to see tears welling in her eyes.

"And what about the Initiation? That Death Stalker could've cut me in half, but you threw yourself to protect me, risking your life. It wasn't Yang, or anyone else - it was you. Don't you get it? You're not useless - far from it."

Jaune's eyes softened, his bitterness slowly dissipating. "I disagree. You would've survived the forest whether I was with you or not - I was just a dead weight. And that goes for the Initiation as well."

Ruby fell silent, shocked. "Is that what you really think?"

Jaune shrugged with a grin, though it was devoid of humour. "Just stating the fact, Ruby."

No sooner had the words left his lips Jaune felt something strike his face. It wasn't the pain that caught him off-guard, rather the very fact that Ruby slapped him left him stunned and speechless.

"Ruby?"

Without a word Ruby took off, the door slamming behind her as she sped her way out. As she did so, he swore that he heard her sniff.

His back hit the wall soundly, and he slid down on his rear, his hand over his eyes.

"What do I do now?" Jaune muttered.

* * *

 **A/N: First off, happy belated (by a day) Christmas, and early New Years! Thanks to these public holidays, we got a four-day weekend. God, I sort of miss the days back in uni when I used to sleep in till the sun was at its highest point. Take it from me, enjoy the remaining days of your life to the fullest.**

 **Now, about this chapter; I wanted to portray the CRDLs as other than simple bullies. Well, I guess they still are/will be, but now they have a reason to target Jaune other than just 'cause he's an easy one. Weiss still has a stick up her ass, Yang has anger problems, Ruby's still failing at expanding her circle of friends, and Jaune reverts back to whinging about his shortcomings. I'd like to think that their flaws make them more human, though. You know, like us. Then we grow out of it, change to be a different person, and the changes won't necessarily be for the better. Or maybe we won't change at all.**

 **Man, all this mushy emotional stuff's really hard to write. I'm more at home with blood and mayhem. But it's a necessary evil, in preparation for the actual evil stuff to make their appearance. *Cue rubbing hands and diabolical laughter***

 **In response to a reviewer who commented about the characters being a bit 'squishy' - you're both right and wrong. In the canon, it always bothered me a bit how OP main characters were. I get that the show is mostly about ass-kicking action, which is all fine and dandy. But I wanted something different, and this story is exactly that. It's not necessarily the characters that are 'squishy', but rather I made the antagonists stronger, more dangerous.**

 **To another reviewer, all the 'unexplored potential dark fantasy' indeed! Though I'm pretty sure there are enough dark RWBY fics in this fandom to pretty much cover a lot of that. Like heart-eating, cannibal!Ruby fics.**

 **Like always, my thanks to all who faved/favorited/reviewed this story!**

 **And as usual, thanks for reading!**


	9. Act 1: Chapter 9

**ACT 1: Resolution**

* * *

"There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul."

\- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

* * *

It's been two days, two days since the night the part in his head in charge of common sense suffered a temporary meltdown, letting his self-conscience and self-pity drive a wedge between him and the only person he could consider a friend. Said girl still refused to acknowledge him, while her sister still glowered at him. Complemented by all the scorning looks and whispered mocking he received, it was a fair bet to say that his life was en route to reaching the rock bottom. Which wasn't anything new for him - he's been on the receiving end of prodding remarks and sharp barbs on multiple occasions in his life.

The day wasn't looking up to be any better either, judging by how the morning was kick-started with yet another combat class, and with him as the first on the chopping block, no less.

"Now, to find you a suitable opponent…" The deputy headmistress trailed off, scrolling down the roster on her scroll.

' _Good luck with that,'_ Jaune thought acidly, feeling rather self-conscious as he always did whenever he stood on the spotlight. _'Goddamnit, couldn't you have just picked someone and call us both at the same time so I don't have to stand here like an idiot? Or maybe not picking me at all?'_

"I'll do it." A hand rose among the crowds, the deep baritone preceding the speaker marching down the aisle, not even waiting for Glynda's approval.

"Mr. Winchester, though it's good to see you voluntarily participating in class for once, I'm afraid you and Mr. Arc's skill levels are far too different to be suitable as a sparring partner." The air rippled with snickers, and Jaune wasn't sure who they were laughing at, though his intuition told him the answer was anything but good.

"So I'll go easy on him, it's not like we're fighting to the death, right?" Cardin waved his hand dismissively. Hefting his gigantic mace onto his shoulders, Cardin wore an arrogant smirk, completely relaxed. In contrast, Jaune tensed as his insides clenched in dread, already fully aware how this duel – if it could even be called that – would end.

"Begin!" Glynda signalled.

Neither of them moved. Jaune cautiously kept his distance, while Cardin simply waited for him to make the first move. "What's the matter, Jauney-boy? Did you suddenly forget how to fight? Oh wait, except you don't."

Jaune scowled, but didn't react. "Fine, whatever." With a growl Cardin charged at him, his mace raised. Jaune side-stepped the first strike, and tried to block the follow-up hit when he was too slow to dodge it.

The red Dust crystal embedded on the tip of the black mace glowed, and a literal explosive force sent Jaune flying off his feet into the air, and landed painfully on his back. With a groan he picked himself up off the floor, just in time for a boot to slam into his face.

"C'mon, seriously? That's it?" Cardin taunted, toeing Jaune as he curled up in pain. "Come on, fight back or something. My old granny can hit harder."

More snickers. Jaune could barely hear them over the loud ringing in his ears. "Leave me alone!" He managed to wheeze.

"What, you scared? Boo-fucking-hoo, cry me a bloody river." Cardin grabbed a fistful of Jaune's hoodie, lifting him up in the air. "This is the part where you cry like a little bitch. Looking forward to it."

With a grunt Cardin drew his fist back, before ramming it against Jaune's face, over and over and over again.

Jaune tried to fight back, but Cardin's punches were too savage and relentless. His Aura, though it protected him from damage, didn't lessen the pain of the blows. It wasn't long before he felt his Aura giving up on him, and a sour metallic taste flooded his mouth.

The pain grew numb, and his vision flickered, growing dimmer and dimmer. Vaguely he heard someone screaming, but before he could discern who, he blacked out from the abuse.

* * *

"Mr. Arc, how do you feel?"

Jaune heard the chair within close proximity creak as the headmaster – judging by his voice – claimed it for his perusal. He could barely see anything past the layers of bandages that snaked around his face. Or the infirmary in all its pristine, sterile glory for that matter. At least the bed was comfortable enough.

"I'm hearing bells, professor. Is that normal?" Jaune groaned.

Ozpin chuckled. "Concussion, tinnitus. I shall have Aurora check up on you later, Mr. Arc. Fortunately she's a great nurse, and your Aura is working in tandem on your recovery. Expect a clean bill of health by tomorrow morning."

Clearing his throat, Ozpin continued, his voice growing serious. "This morning's incidence is currently being reviewed by the staff, and Mr. Winchester will be disciplined for his actions."

"Really, that's good," Jaune absently replied, void of all cheer.

Ozpin raised a brow, before he decided to try from another angle. "Is there anything you wish to add to the incident report, Mr. Arc? Mr. Winchester's deeds, atrocious as it is, did not seem to be a product of mere whim. Has anything happened between the two of you prior to the incident today?"

"I-I don't think so, sir. Well, that is, he sort of… attacked me on my way back to my dorm room a few days ago. I never found out why, though."

Ozpin took it in, his face unreadable. "I see. Perhaps I should have another talk with Mr. Winchester-"

"No sir, that-that won't be necessary."

"On that contrary, Mr. Arc, I believe it is. Training between two students is one thing, assaulting and deliberately injuring another student out of malice warrants a disciplinary action."

"'Another student', huh…" Jaune turned his head to match Ozpin's gaze. "Sir, tell me, do you really see me as one of your students?" _'Do I really belong here?'_

The headmaster took a moment to consider his words, reading what went unspoken. "It was your choice, Mr. Arc. I assumed you were prepared to deal with the consequences."

"Guess I wasn't." Something clicked in his head, and Jaune couldn't help but ask, "But you already knew that, right? You probably already had my background checked, so you knew I wasn't cut out to be a Beacon material."

"What are you getting at?"

"I want to know why."

"Why I decided to offer you a place here?"

"Even when I never belonged here," Jaune added. "You made a mistake in letting me stay here."

"I never said that," Ozpin calmly said.

Jaune clenched his fist. "I already know too well how much I suck at pretty much everything, so can you please drop the polite bullshit?"

Ozpin said nothing, and for some reason that just made him angrier. Was it like some kind of sick joke? Dangle hope in front of the desperate, talentless kid and pull the string just before he could grab it? "So what do I do now?"

"That remains to be seen. Rather, that depends on where you choose to go from here."

"Enough with the cryptic bullshit!" In the recess of his mind his rational side cringed at the blatant display of disrespect, but he was too agitated, too fed up to really care. "Is it funny, _headmaster_? Everyone's already having a blast laughing at Jaune the village idiot, what's one more person to the crowd?!"

Ozpin's neutral expression never faltered, and instantly Jaune regretted the outburst. "Sir, I… I didn't mean… I'm sorry."

"Your outburst is quite understandable, given your circumstances. Isolated and rejected by your peers, with no one to lean for support. Anyone would crack under the pressure, Mr. Arc," Ozpin calmly stated, as if he was discussing the weather.

Jaune sank further into himself. "Where do I go now? What do I do now?" He whispered resignedly.

"As I've said earlier, all I offered you was a chance. What you do after that, where you go from there, is your choice, Mr. Arc." Ozpin stood up and headed for the door, but paused at the doorway. "Do stop by my office when you have your answer. But for what it's worth, I don't think giving you the chance back then was a mistake."

The door gently clicked shut, and Jaune wrapped his hand over his eyes, a weary sigh escaping his lips as multitude of thoughts bounced around his head.

He couldn't sleep that night. Tossing and turning, far too many thoughts ran rampant in his head, the peace of sleep slipping through his fingers. Whether he deserved to be here, where to go once he stepped off the airship that took him away from Beacon, what to do with his life from there on.

Someone once told him, that nothing was impossible. Short and simple, yet it was powerful enough to have an impact on him as a young child, who dreamed of being a strong Huntsman befitting of a name of Arc, yet falling short no matter how hard he tried. Failures after failures, rejections upon rejections gradually wore him down, but he never once truly gave up, clinging on to that dim hope that nothing really was impossible, that he could one day achieve his dream.

' _Pfft. Yeah right.'_

Reality hit him hard, and truth hurt like salt on the wound. But wasn't it better in the long run? Better to swallow the bitter pill and accept the fact that he just wasn't cut out to be a Huntsman, than to continue drowning in his own delusions. Better to face the reality, than to continuously run from it.

Jaune Arc was nothing if not pragmatic, and already he mulled over his options. Where was he to go now? What was he going to do with his life? Could he go back to his gig in the bakery, or maybe try taking a crack at a career in culinary profession? Cooking was one of the few things he was good at, after all.

His musings were cut short when the door opened with a muted creak, and Jaune shut his eyes in reflex, feigning sleep. The curtain around his bed rustled, and heard the sound of the chair sliding closer to the bedside. He almost jumped when a cool sensation prodded him on his cheek, and he vaguely realised that someone was poking him with a finger.

' _Ruby?'_

* * *

"…Hi." She muttered, her voice lacking the usual chirpiness. "…How are you holding up?"

Ruby wasn't expecting a reply, save for Jaune's quiet snoring. "I was getting worried, and here you are, snoozing away. Jerk."

Her eyes landed on Jaune's bandaged face, and she flared up in anger. Back in that stage, it was painful to watch as the brute Winchester continued to pummel her partner unconscious, made worse when some of the less considerate members of the student populace cheered on in twisted amusement.

Everything fell quiet when Jaune's Aura cracked under relentless assault, coughing blood when Cardin threw him to the ground. Ruby screamed, and Glynda snapped into action, sending the Winchester bully away from Jaune's still body.

Everything after that passed by in a blur – paramedics taking Jaune away on a stretcher, Glynda dragging Winchester out forcefully, while the students whispered amongst themselves, still absorbing the brutal display they witnessed.

Everything fell into clarity when, some hours later, Ruby ran into Cardin and his team. Almost on reflex Ruby reached for her Crescent Rose, eyes burning in anger. Rules be damned, seeing the one who injured her friend was walking around as if he owned the place, that set her off. She was prepared to fight, even draw blood, if that came to be, only for Glynda to step in and intervene. Though her sharp lectures were addressed to both sides, Ruby never took her eyes off the hulking brute, anger simmering, but not fading.

The night back in their room was a tense one, neither Yang nor Ren uttering a word. Ruby wanted to know if they visited him in the infirmary, or if they even cared to. But courage failed her, and so the elephant was left to remain in the room.

It was barely past midnight when Ruby decided she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight – at least, not until she saw Jaune. She just hoped that he was asleep when she visited him, it would be a lot less awkward if that was the case.

And it was. With Jaune dead to the world and to her presence, inputs in the conversation – albeit one-sided – was a lot more sincere and heartfelt.

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry, you know, for slapping you back then. I guess. I just, I didn't like hearing you putting yourself down like that."

With a sigh Ruby leaned back, fidgeting with the hem of her cloak. It was a cold night, and she only had a tank top underneath. "I know what people say about you, but I know better. You train and study hard, just to fit in. You could've given up, but you still get up and face the day, all because you try your best to get better.

"Truth is, the day when that airship crashed and stranded us in that forest? I was terrified. That Beowolf was going to kill me, and you ran away. I thought that was it for me. But you came back, you saved me. Then again with the spider, and with the Death Stalker. And you did all that with zero skills and training."

Ruby lightly gripped his hand with hers, taking comfort in his warmth. "You were there with me since day one. Not Yang or anyone else, but you. Don't you get it? That's not you being a dead weight, that's you being brave, being a good person. I just, I just wish you could see it."

With a slight shiver Ruby drew her cloak closer and stood up. "Well, gotta head back to my room. Wouldn't want professor Goodwitch to yell at me for staying up past curfew, right?" Leaning closer to his face, Ruby mustered her courage and left a quick, chaste kiss on his forehead.

"Get better soon, okay?"

* * *

As the infirmary door quietly clicked shut, Jaune slowly sat up, all pretence of sleep gone. He lightly touched his forehead where Ruby left her kiss, and it was with a heavy heart that he laid back down.

"Goddamnit Ruby, you just had to make this more difficult than it should've been, huh?"

* * *

Both Emerald Forest and Forever Fall rested on the northern part of Valean Kingdom, though both landscapes were divided not by a clean border, but a small stretch of badlands devoid of life, running through the land like a scar. On the other end lied the world bathed in red, the crimson leaves billowing about in the wind.

"Fascinating, isn't it? Two geographical landmarks within such close proximity, yet differ greatly from one another." Peach commented. Standing at a modest height of five feet four, with a youthful face and vibrant shade of pink for hair, he wasn't exactly an imposing figure. At the very least he didn't spend every minute stroking his own ego, like a certain Grimm Studies professor was wont to do, Ruby mused.

The Hercules-class airship was of similar design as VTOL Bullheads, though with larger, wider build for the purpose of cargo transportation, or in this case, personnel. Whereas standard Bullheads could only carry a limited number of passengers and hardware, Hercules airship, or 'Herc' as pilots called, could house several times that limit. Those claims were true, as there was enough space for all First years and their equipment, but it only felt claustrophobic to Ruby. Every occasional jolts and lurches reminded her of the disastrous airship crash, and by the time they landed – safely – on land, Yang had to pry her sister off her arm.

A surreptitious glance to the side showed Jaune leaning against a tree, a sheen of sweat wetting his pale and clammy face. Whether it was out of motion sickness or the horrible reminder of the accident she didn't know.

A gust of wind passed by, and in its wake left trail of a pleasant, sweet scent. Drawn by the aroma she took a deep sniff, the ambrosial fragrance tickling her olfactory nerves.

"Quite a scent, isn't it?" Professor Peach spoke, noticing some of the students taking in the scents. "What you smell now is the red sap that's found mainly in these trees, Eucalyptus tereticornis if you want the technical term. Of all places Remnant, these trees can only be found in Forever Fall, making them a valuable national commodity."

"Are they edible?" One of the students asked.

"They are," Peach affirmed, "In fact, I'm sure some of you have had them as part of your breakfast this morning. Ever wondered where red syrups came from?"

"So that's what they were," Nora exclaimed in wonder, drool streaking down the corner of her mouth.

"I would, however, advise against consuming them straight from the trees. In their unrefined form they can cause minor gastrointestinal irritation, especially if consumed in large quantities." Peach lectured as he set down his bag, before withdrawing a jar. As if on cue the students rummaged through their own bags and took out their own containers.

"Where do we get the sap from? I don't see any fruits or flowers, sir."

Peach merely grinned as he drew what appeared to be a rapier, until the blade rotated with a loud whir, and struck the nearest tree hard enough to punch through the trunk and exit the other end. As the professor pulled out his weapon, viscous red substance coated its surface, leaking down the gaping hole and pooling on the ground.

"That's where you find them. Just a word of caution, the scent travels far, and many Grimm that resides within are drawn to it. I'd advise against wandering too far, lest you be cut off and lose your way." Peach concluded.

Soon the students separated into their own teams, and thuds of steel against wood with occasional chatter filled the air. Some broke into curses as the barks proved thicker and more resilient than their appearance belied, only scoring a thin scratch or a hole.

"I wonder why no one knew about this place. I mean, think about all the tasty syrup we can eat, any day, every day!"

"It's one of Vale's national treasure. Professor Peach did say these trees only grew here in Vale, after all. On that note, I think it'd be a good idea to let us handle this, Nora." Blake held Nora back when her Magnhild came out to play, fully aware of the possible collateral damage that would ensue from Nora's quest for sap. She unsheathed her Gambol Shroud just as Miló shifted into its javelin form in Pyrrha's grip. The two Huntresses-in-training targeted a lone tree, and Blake slashed at its bark as Pyrrha hurled her spear with all her might. The feline Faunus was dismayed to find that her efforts only netted small rivulets of sap leaking. Pyrrha seemed to fare better, if only by a small margin.

"What were you expecting? It's not just the red sap that makes these trees valuable, but also their incredibly tough timber. You won't get anywhere like that."

"And I suppose you can do better?" Blake sneered as Weiss crossed her arm.

Favouring action in lieu of words, the Schnee heiress flourished her Myrtenaster, ice Dust particles gathering and consolidating into a spike at the tip of the rapier. A circle of Glyph flashed to life, and the ice spike rocketed forward, piercing through the ironbark, drilling a narrow but deep hole.

Blake felt the urge to rip the smug look from the heiress' face, though decided against it, sheathing her weapon and walking away. With mixed sadness and disapproval Nora went after her partner, though changed her course straight to Ren when the teen came into her view.

Pyrrha sighed as she saw her bubbly teammate knocking the black-haired teen to the ground with her hugs. The Mistralian knew that they were childhood friends, but to think that Nora preferred his company over her teammates just showed how divided Winterbournes were. What really ate up her insides was that there was little she could do to change that.

Her eyes slid over to the rest of the Regalities and watched as both sisters pelted the thick trees with bullets, crimson fluids spilling out of the numerous holes. With a cheer Yang collected the saps, filling her jar to the brim. Closing it, she turned to her sister with a bright smile, though that soon turned to a frown when Ruby looked away with a distant look. From where she stood Pyrrha couldn't hear what the sisters were saying, though by the looks of it it wasn't anything pleasant.

' _Guess they weren't all barrels of laughter, after all.'_

It was then she realised that there was one Regality short. Looking around, she saw no sign of Jaune anywhere, and for some reason that perturbed her.

"Pyrrha?" Weiss called out, cradling a filled jar in her arms. "There's still some left. You should get yours sorted out soon. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can get back."

"Right." Pyrrha replied back, her eyes still roaming the vicinity.

"Pyrrha? Did you even hear me?"

"Coming." With a resigned sigh she reluctantly turned away.

* * *

Jaune sneezed again, his nose red and itchy. He didn't know he was allergic to the substance, considering he never had any reactions when he ingested the commercialised sap. He guessed that there was something 'natural' that was removed from the raw substance, which accounted for why he never showed any adverse reactions to it until the moment he took a deep sniff from his hand coated with the stuff.

Deeper into the woods he went, intent on finding a body of water to rinse off the gooey substance from his hand. It wasn't until much later that he realised he couldn't hear the chatters of his team anymore, let alone anyone else.

Jaune knew he was never good with directions, though it wasn't much of a problem back then, the worst case scenario being him late for something, which wasn't new as he tended to oversleep every now and then.

That was back in the city, within the nigh impenetrable layers of walls that kept the bloodthirsty Grimm at bay. Now, he was lost in a foreign hostile land that was most likely their hunting ground, with no one else in sight. He couldn't even hear the others, only the silence that threatened to choke him with tension. His heart thumped loudly, as if it was beating outside his ribcage, broadcasting his location to the predators hidden within the shadow of the crimson forest surrounding him.

Something flickered from the edge of his peripherals, and Jaune jumped in fright, his Crocea Mors drawn. "W-who's there?"

A crunch of leaves from behind saw to him quickly twisting around, sword shaking in his grasp. A clump of bush shuffled to his side, and backpedalled. In his fright, he tripped over a rock and landed on his rear. "Oww…"

Four outlines stepped into the clearing, and Jaune brightened up, though that quickly died down to horror when recognition flooded in.

Cardin chuckled darkly. "Surprised?"

"It was you?" Jaune asked, "W-what do you want?"

The hulking brute cracked his knuckles. Dove drew his sword as Sky readied his halberd. Russel had his daggers out, though unlike his teammates he looked uncertain. "Yo bro, you sure you want to do this? We could get into some serious shit for this, you know?"

Jaune quickly shuffled to his feet, slowly inching back. His breath sped up, and his hand couldn't stop shaking.

Cardin smirked, though there was neither humour nor mockery in his eyes. Only an intense determination, or was it hatred?

"Wait, what're you…" Jaune swallowed, his voice hoarse, "Why?!"

"'Why'?" Dove sneered. "Do you even hear yourself talk?"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Robyn Winchester." Sky crouched next to Jaune, the tip of his spear buried on the ground. "That ring a bell?"

"'Winchester'?" Jaune said as he glanced at Cardin, whose countenance grew darker. "Is that…?"

"My twin sister. You met her once already, since you looted her corpse for the chess piece."

Jaune's eyes widened as realisation struck him. "Wait… the girl back in the forest, with the Death Stalker…? Hang on, how did you-"

"How did we know? One of the seniors who was running the perimeters saw you. He told us what he saw, you fuck." Cardin's lips curled back in a snarl. "You just sat on your ass when my sis died, and that wasn't enough for you, so you took something that was rightfully hers? And now you think you're some hot-shot to strut around like you belong in Beacon? Fuck you! My sister and I trained for years, risking our lives just for the chance to get into Beacon! It should've been you that kicked the bucket back in that goddamn forest, not her!"

Jaune tried to run, only to fall flat on his back, grunting in pain. Cardin's armoured boots came crashing down, pinning Jaune on to the grass underneath. The other Cardinals moved to surround the blonde, like carrions circling a dying prey.

"Where the hell is it?" Cardin spat as he slugged the Arc scion. "WHERE?!"

"I… can't…" Jaune managed to wheeze out, staggering on his knee when Sky struck him with the blunt side of his spear.

"Like hell you can't. It wasn't yours to begin with, we're only taking back what's ours." Jaune cried out when Cardin punched him again. "Get it? _You're_ the bad guy here, Jauney boy. _You're_ the spineless coward who stole what was never yours, all we're doing is dealing out some justice, in the good ol' fashioned way. Now, where the hell is the chess piece, huh?"

"I don't know!" Jaune lied.

"Hey, maybe he ate it. He's a fucking dumbass, so I can definitely see him eating shits like that," Russel sneered. That earned a round of chuckles from the other Cardinals.

"That right? Maybe we should check, just in case." Turning to his team, Cardin gave his orders. "Only way to find out, and that's to beat it out of him."

"No, wait!" Jaune yelled, to no avail. Cardin swung his mace just as Jaune whipped out his borrowed shield. True to its other mass-produced counterparts, the standard shield issued by the Academy was no match for custom-designed weapons, like Cardin's mace, Vajra. And true to its namesake, the wooden shield shattered from the impact of his mace, further infused with the explosive Dust crystal embedded on the tip.

Jaune screamed as he clutched his hand, pain receptors on his hand lighting up like fireworks. His Aura sluggishly worked to restore his hand, though Cardin brutally stomped on it, grinding it beneath his sole.

His head snapped to the side as a boot connected with his cheek, and the world exploded in sparks. His nose was next, when something pulled him up by his collar, a fist striking him hard and breaking his nose. That same fist slammed his head back on the ground.

These guys were serious. They weren't just pushing him around; they were seriously going to maim him for life, something that was just as bad as outright killing him, if they weren't already planning on killing him.

Jaune was no stranger to life-death situations, thanks to recent rollercoasters of dangers he's gone through with the Grimm. But that was that, Grimm. This was different, being targeted by other human beings. It was vastly different.

Sure, news of murder and homicide was nothing new, portrayed by the media in ways as they saw fit. But that was just news, misfortune befalling on strangers, people he's never met and heard of, and so in the grand scheme of things within one's microcosmic perspectives, inconsequential. It was an eye-opening experience, then, when that same misfortune befell on him, and the threat of having his life ended by another human being suddenly became a lot more personal.

Cardin bent down, seizing him by his hair. "This is the part where I should say it's nothing personal, but then I'd be lying. Don't worry, though. You're just a warm-up; we'll be moving on to your friends soon enough."

Another kick. "Ruby, was that her name? That little girlfriend of yours is gonna be next."

Something inside him snapped. At that moment, he never felt like he truly hated anyone like he did with Cardin and his thugs. For the first time he felt the irresistible urge to run his sword through those who hurt him, relieve their head off their shoulders with a simple swing of his sword, to watch them bleed to death, slowly, painfully…

"Don't…"

"Huh, what was that?" Cardin leaned closer to Jaune with a mocking sneer. "Can't hear you, Jauney boy. Care to speak the fuck up?"

Jaune spat at cardin, saliva mixed with blood trailing down the Winchester scion's stunned face. "Don't you bloody dare touch Ruby!"

Cardin roared and raised his Vajra, aiming for Jaune's head.

Several things happened at that moment. Sudden bright glow enveloped Jaune, and his assailants winced in pain. That soon turned to scream of horror when many pairs of glowing red eyes peered from the darkness, lunging at them with snapping jaws and claws.

The next minutes – or was it hours? – of his life passed by in a blur. He could vaguely recall fending off the Grimm, fighting back-to-back with the Cardinals, the guttural growls and shrieks of Grimm drowning out the battle cries of the cornered Huntsmen-in-training.

 _Jaune…_

Russel fell, clutching the bleeding claw mark running across his scalp and down his face. Dove was quick to cover his fallen partner, though he himself looked ready to pass out.

 _Jaune…_

A large Grimm resembling a porcupine pawed the ground, before it shuddered and jerked. Multiple jagged quills struck Sky, turning him into a pincushion. It was just him and Cardin now.

 _Jaune…!_

An Ursa Major knocked Cardin's mace out of his grip when he tried to block the strike. Disarmed, Cardin could only cross his arms and wait for his inevitable end, were it not for Jaune to sneak under its trunk-thick arm and stab upward through its armpit. It roared in pain, giving Cardin the time he needed to pick up his weapon and for Jaune to deliver the killing blow through its neck.

"JAUNE!"

A sharp crack, and the oversized porcupine Grimm faltered as it was about to curl up into a ball and roll into him, several shots that followed soon after stopping it in its track permanently.

"Heads up!" Jaune heard someone yell, and a Beowolf sunk into the ground, Yang standing over its still form with steam rising from her gauntlets. Another was sent flying, courtesy of Ren.

"Jaune!" Someone shook him, and the world slowly regained its focus. Twin silver pools was the first thing he saw, then a crushing embrace with muted sobs.

"Ruby," He breathed. "Ruby."

"Oh my god, oh my god..." She cried in his chest. "You're okay…"

A shaky laugh escaped his lips. "'Course I am. Didn't think you were going to get rid of me that easy, did you?"

Ruby laughed and cried, though that was as far as she got when the ground shook violently. The skirmish around them ceased to a halt, both human and Grimm alike freezing when the sky suddenly darkened, a thunderous roar preceding the winged monstrosity before it landed, crushing several Beowolves and Boarbatusks under its feet.

The remaining Grimm fled, something that they've never seen before, considering their feral instincts and lack of self-preservation. Their attention soon returned to the draconic Grimm as it roared once more, revealing its forked tongue and rows upon rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth. It stood on its hind legs, its long tail swishing like a giant whip.

"Fuck me running, that a dragon?!" Russel coughed.

"That thing's only got two legs, dragons have four. That's a Wyvern Grimm, a Viverna." Ren answered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Scatter!" Jaune yelled when the winged serpent charged, snapping its jaws. They all leapt out of its way, though some were slower than others due to injuries. Russel and dove barely managed to roll out of the way while Cardin's legs buckled in fatigue, Sky's limp form dragging him down.

Jaune bit back a curse. Of the eight present, half of them were incapacitated and in no shape to fight. He himself didn't feel stellar either, and the Viverna was bigger than any Grimm he ran into in the past.

Something whistled above, and grew louder as something or someone pitched through the air. "Death from above!" came the jovial shout as Nora flipped in mid-air, nailing the lesser dragon on the head.

"Holy shit!"

Shards of ice sailed through the air and struck the winged Grimm, though failed to inflict significant damage, most of the impact mitigated by its leathery hide. Weiss entered the fray with Pyrrha by her side, Blake jumping out of a tree and landing next to them. Their combined, albeit disjointed and uncoordinated, attacks drove the Wyvern back, little by little. Ren and Yang joined in, Ruby sniping the Grimm from the back.

Jaune allowed himself a moment to sigh in relief. Reinforcement was reinforcement, regardless of the number. "What about other students? Where's Professor Peach?"

"They ran into a problem! Some serious Grimm infestation, by the looks of it!" Pyrrha went down on one knee, her aim trained on the large Grimm. "They'll be fine! Let's worry about this problem first!"

Cardin grunted as he struggled to stand on his feet, red hot pain shooting from his legs. "Goddamnit."

"Cardin?" Jaune turned to see as the leader of the Cardinals limped towards his downed teammates.

Jaune sized him up and down, noticing the numerous cuts he sported, both on his person and armour. He shifted his weight on one leg, and one of his eyes was swollen.

His eyes then fell on the rest of the Cardinals, as they moaned and groaned, mainly by Sky as Russel tried to pull out the spikes lodged in his body.

Jaune felt no sympathy for them. "Karma's a bitch, huh?"

Cardin fumed, though couldn't physically intimidate him, having sunk to his knees from pain. The sole Winchester scion glared up as Jaune stepped closer, and his gaze fell to the sword clutched in his undamaged hand.

It felt alien, having control of the situation over someone else. All his life, it has been others who held the leash around his throat. Now, he had the power over someone else's life.

Jaune resisted the urge to shudder, though whether out of excitement or terror, he couldn't tell.

Resignation flooded the brute's eyes, and he bowed his head, gnashing his teeth. "…Do it already, coward."

Jaune blanched. "What?"

"You know what I mean." And he did. Just moments ago this thug and his sidekicks were seriously going to permanently scar him for life, and would've done it if it wasn't for the Grimm. Who knew what would've happened if they really did carry out the deed? A shell of a life entirely dependent on crutches, never able to stand on his own ever again, assuming they were ever going to let him leave the beating alive. Then he had the gall to threaten the only person he could call a friend with absolute certainty.

But it felt… wrong. The way how Cardin phrased it, almost as if there was no other alternative, as if this could only end in blood and scars.

It was sick.

"After everything you and your gang tried to pull, it would only be right for me to return the favour, right here, right now." Jaune trembled in rage.

He bent down, and his hand shot forward, grabbing a fistful of the downed brute's shirt and pulled him to his eye level, "But you know what? I won't. Not because you don't deserve it, but because I refuse to be dragged down to your level."

"But know this; fuck with me and my friends again, and the next time, I really will consider it." Cardin could only gape as he was roughly shoved aside, stunned at the sudden change in his demeanour.

The earth shook once more, punctuated with a mighty roar. Gunshots echoed in the distance, followed by a scream that brought him back to the present. "Get your team out of here. You'll just drag us down."

That was when Cardin finally regained his voice. "Fuck you. You don't tell me what to do!"

Jaune looked as if he wanted to argue, but growled in frustration, "Do whatever the fuck you want, then. Run, stay and die, I don't care."

Cardin looked as if he wanted to argue. The monstrous roar of the Viverna made his choices painfully obvious, and it was with reluctance that he picked up his team, away from the heat.

"This isn't over, Arc!" Cardin shouted as Jaune sprinted back into the battle, not sparing a backward glance. He had more important problems to deal with.

The Wyvern was on the offensive this time, sending both Winterbournes and the Regalities in full retreat. Ren was carrying Nora who clutched her arm soaked in red, while Ruby, Pyrrha, Blake and Yang resorted to ranged means of offense to slow it down, though it seemed to only anger it further. Snorting, it flapped its great wings and took to the air, the wind from the flapping wings buffeting them.

"What's it doing?" Blake shouted over the harsh wind.

They had their answer soon as the airborne Grimm paused in mid-flight, before angling its maw downward and dive bombed, toppling the trees in its path with its hulking form. It headed straight for Blake, who planned on vaulting over its head, when its jaw opened, letting out a scalding mist that covered the Faunus.

"Blake!" Nora and Pyrrha shouted in warning, though too far to reach her in time. In horror they could only watch as the Viverna's open maw closed in around the fog and clamped it shut. When dust and fog settled, Blake was gone. "Blake!"

"She's fine!" A shout echoed from above, and they looked up to see Weiss hanging off a sturdy branch with Blake holding fast to her hand. Not for long, however, as Weiss' grip slackened, and the two landed on the ground in a heap. Groaning, Blake lightly pushed Weiss off, though abruptly drew her hand back when it was coated with blood.

"What-?"

Weiss chuckled, her face paler than usual. "Guess I wasn't quick enough. Damn that thing, clipped me on the arm before I could-" the heiress hissed, rolling off of Blake and clutching her arm, her life fluid flowing at an alarming rate.

"Hold on, there should be something I can use to patch that up-"

Weiss shook her head as she worked on the tip of her rapier's hilt, and out slid a thin metal tube. "I'm always prepared," she scoffed as the lid popped open, and sprinkled its content on her laceration. Silvery Dust with faint traces of green coated the ugly wound. "There. That'll stop the bleeding, and my Aura will do the rest."

Blake rolled her eyes, though didn't hesitate as she held out her hand. Weiss took a moment to gauge her, before taking it and allowed Blake to help her up. A wordless nod and the two rejoined the skirmish, just in time to see the Wyvern pushing back the Regalities and the Winterbournes with the same breath attack as before.

"The fuck do we do now?" Yang shouted.

Jaune took a moment to study the creature, "We flank it." His voice overlapped with a feminine one, and turned to see Weiss with an identical expression of surprise.

"Its breath makes the head-on assault difficult. Better we surround it and attack from all sides. That thing might have a tough skin, but it won't be able to fight off all of us, especially if we strike from multiple directions." Jaune continued, and Weiss nodded in agreement.

"Pyrrha, with me! Nora, distract it! Blake, from above!" Weiss commanded as she broke off to the right, while Nora shifted her Magnhild to its grenade launcher form, firing rounds after rounds at the draconic Grimm. Blake fluidly ran up the nearest tree, kicking off at the apex of her climb and vaulted backward, her blade poised for strike as she landed on the Wyvern.

"Yang, up front, with Nora!" Jaune ordered. "Ren, left! Ruby, cover him!"

The blonde looked as if she wanted to argue, though chose to follow the command and rushed at the Wyvern, fiery bolts sizzling towards its head courtesy of her Ember Celica. Ren wasted no time in following the order, using the wind-and-fire blades of his StormFlower as hooks to leverage himself up the tree.

"Jaune, here!" Something hissed through the air, and he reflexively caught it, eyes widening in wonder at the familiar sight of his old shield. "How-? When?"

"You can thank me later!" Ruby yelled over her shoulder, before she slid on the ground, firing upwards at the Viverna's exposed underside. The thing gave a roar as it thrashed wildly, buckling Blake off its back.

His shield snapped open, though hissed when he tried to grip its handle. He forgot about his mangled hand, too preoccupied with the immediate Grimm problem. Ren, from seemingly out of nowhere, lightly grasped his damaged hand.

"What happened?" The adept asked.

"Bit of a tumble." Jaune hissed through his teeth. Ren didn't buy it, but now wasn't the time to point out the obvious. Instead, his hand glowed in a deep shade of green, and a sudden sensation of heat and cold rushed up his arm, disappearing as quickly as it came.

"What- what did you do?" Jaune flexed his hand, amazed when no pain coursed through his limb.

"I did what I could. It's not a complete recovery though, so you'll have to get it checked when we get back." Ren panted, fatigue evident in his face.

"You alright?"

The gunslinger nodded, "Had to tend to Nora before yours, so I'm a bit worn out."

"Didn't know you could do that." Jaune pointed out.

Ren chuckled wearily. "Yeah, neither did I."

The Wyvern Grimm roared, though with less force than before. "Wanna sit out for a while?" Jaune offered, shield and blade ready.

"No, let's finish this."

With a savage grin Jaune roared, Ren matching his stride as the two sprinted to the Viverna's left, just as the Winterbournes regrouped and re-applied their earlier tactics. Ruby barely managed to avoid being flattened beneath its hind feet, putting her AP rounds to good use as she aimed at its neck.

Suddenly it gave off a chilling shriek, a stark contrast to its deep roars before, flapping its wing and shot upward into the air. Before they had the time to register what occurred, the Wyvern flew back down and slammed the earth with all its might. The ensuing shockwave threw all eight off their feet, as well as tilting even the thickest of the trees off the ground.

"Shit, what the hell was that?!"

"Whatever the hell that was, if it pulls that same move again, we're screwed!" Jaune grunted as he gingerly got up on his feet, the rest of the Regalities mimicking his movement. From the other end, he saw the Winterbournes do the same.

"Then we should clip its wings!" Ruby pointed out.

"How do we do that?"

Ruby thought hard, and suddenly something clicked. A blink of an eye later she gripped Weiss by the shoulder, shaking the girl. "Your Glyphs! You can control the gravity, can't you?"

"What? No! But I _can_ influence it," Weiss narrowed her eyes. "If you're going to tell me to keep that thing from taking to the air, then forget it. My Glyphs aren't that powerful to keep something that big and heavy down."

Ruby shook her head, "I wasn't going to. But you should be able to handle at least its wings, right?"

Weiss gulped. Maintaining two separate planes of Glyph field required a certain level of concentration and discipline, something which she still lacked.

"So? Think you can take the shot?" Ruby asked.

"Hmph, can I?" Weiss sneered, though it was half-hearted.

"Can you? Really?"

"Of course I can! Who do you think I am?"

Ruby smiled. "Alright, then let's do this!"

"You heard her. Now go!" Weiss yelled as she twirled her Myrtenaster. Two runic circles of white expanded above the Wyvern's wings, exponentially increasing the gravitational force within its boundaries. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, and she felt something tugging, jerking at her being, threatening to pull it out. It was all she could do to keep herself from being crushed under the pressure. "Hurry up!"

Not needing the further prompting, the remaining Winterbournes scattered, Pyrrha shouldering her shield just as Nora blasted off the surface into the air, bringing her hammer down as she descended from above, just as Yang's savage uppercut struck its lower jaw, fuelled by her partially activated Semblance. Their combined dealt a serious blow, as the Grimm's howls became weaker, its erratic struggles slowly easing up. It reared its head as if it was its last act of struggle, preparing for one last scalding mist breath.

Blake tossed her Gambol Shroud in its chain sickle form just as Ren climbed on the draconic Grimm's neck, who caught it and looped it around its neck like a garrotte, squeezing its airway and interrupting its attack.

"Now!" Ruby and Jaune charged, their battle cries joined as one as the duo struck, Crocea Mors and Crescent Rose glinted in the light, their sharp blades drawing tar-like blood from the creature's neck. Looping the scythe around its neck, Ruby pulled the trigger, using the momentum of the gunshot to slice through the leathery hide. Jaune was quick to step in to finish the job, once again proving the Crocea Mors' famed sharp edge.

There was a light tremor as the lesser dragon Grimm collapsed with a final shudder, black tar-like blood pooling out of its sliced open jugular.

"Is it… dead?" Pyrrha asked after a while.

Weiss nodded, before her knees buckled. Pyrrha looped her arm around her shoulder in support. "You did really well there, Weiss."

"'Course. I said I could do it." she gave a tired smirk.

"I know." Pyrrha smiled back.

Ren dropped to his knees, only Yang and Blake holding him up prevented him from falling face-first into the dirt. "Whoa, careful there, pretty guy. Not the best place for a beauty sleep."

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Ren retorted.

"Dick." Yang lightly punched him on the shoulder.

Jaune sprawled on his back, his entire body still hot and tense. The cool earth, however filthy, was a welcoming sensation. He looked up as Ruby dropped on her back next to him, face flushed and hair clinging to her face.

"Well…" Jaune managed between pants, "That was a thing."

"No, really? I didn't notice."

Jaune shook his head with a chuckle, "Good to know you haven't lost your non-existent sense of humour."

"Good to know you're still a jerk," Ruby retorted, though there was no trace of malice in her voice.

They both smiled, their hands intertwining without their conscious input, though was too tired to pull away. Instead she squeezed his hand, and he returned the gesture a heartbeat later.

* * *

Ozpin set down his scroll with a sigh, "In any case, I'm glad that there were no casualties."

"That we can agree on. This year's batch is quite something, otherwise that Grimm outbreak could've ended a lot worse than just cuts and broken bones." Peach snorted as he downed a shot of whiskey.

"Another Grimm infestation, and so close to Beacon. Something doesn't match up." Oobleck piped in.

"Peter's continuing to look into the Emerald Forest. As for Forever Fall, I've sent Glynda to dig around some time ago. She should be back soon with her reports." The headmaster steepled his fingers.

"I'd like to hear what she finds about the Viverna," Oobleck spoke. "If I remember correctly, they usually reside in mountains and never really venture beyond their territory. Especially one so ancient. Why Forever Falls, so far from its habitat?"

"Grimmkind are the very definition of unpredictability, you already know that."

"Speaking of unpredictable, you said a handful of students slew this Wyvern Grimm?" Ozpin asked. Few gasped in disbelief.

Peach nodded, "Didn't see how they pulled it off, but by the time I got there, it was already dead."

"Who were they?"

"Team RALY and WNBN."

"Team RALY…?" One of the professors mused, "Weren't they the ones that faced off the giant Death Stalker during the Initiation?"

"The very same," Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "Seems like they have a knack for drawing trouble wherever they go."

"Or Grimm," Peach smiled. "Seriously, seems like we've got quite a handful this year. Can't wait how they might turn out in the future. First the Death Stalker, now a Wyvern? Unbelievable."

Oobleck cleared his throat, "Putting that aside in the interim, what of the Council?"

"They sent their 'representative' to look over the matter," Ozpin sighed.

Peach quirked his brow, before his lips thinned. "Ironwood? But why would he-?"

"By that, we can assume that the Councilmen wants to undermine my authority by appointing Ironwood on the higher seat, if not outright replacing me," Ozpin calmly said.

"I doubt our esteemed deputy headmistress would've been pleased with that," Peach sniffed, before eyeing the headmaster in suspicion. "Strange how she left just moments before Ironwood's arrival. Strange coincidence, don't you think?"

Ozpin's lips quirked upwards. "Quite the coincidence, indeed."

Sharp knocks directed their gazes to the door, and it slowly creaked open. Through the gap Jaune peered nervously, his eyes darting from the various staff gathered around the office. "Uh, is this a bad time?"

"No, it's quite alright, Mr. Arc. We were just about done." Turning to his associates, he gave them a curt nod. "We shall continue on the matter later. You may return to your offices."

Jaune stood with his back glued to the wall as the professors filed out, giving a weak smile to few who he recognised. "Professors."

Oobleck and Peach smiled back, the latter ruffling his hair on the way out. Confused, he cocked his head as he closed the door behind him.

"Do sit," Ozpin gestured at the chair across his desk, and Jaune slid in, his gaze uneasily sliding across the unusual décor. Opaque glass walls did little to hide the grinding gears and wheels, and gentle clicks of the intricate yet archaic machines unnerved him, for reasons he couldn't quite place.

"So, what brought you to my office at such late hour? You and your team have already given reports about today's incident." Ozpin began in a tone that implied he already knew the answer.

"You told me to come and see you when I have my answer," Jaune sat up straighter, his eyes firm.

Ozpin eyed him in curiosity. "I did. However I didn't expect you to come this early."

"I had my answer. I just thought leaving it off wouldn't change anything," Jaune shrugged.

Ozpin said nothing, silently regarding the young Arc with his usual piercing gaze. Taking that as a sign, Jaune reached into his shirt, before drawing out an object. A golden pawn rested on the table, giving off dim reflection of the moonlight.

"I pried this relic off of a hand of a dead Initiate. I was never comfortable with the idea of holding on to what wasn't mine, and I still don't."

Jaune shuddered, but braved on. "It's heavy, and every time I wear it, it feels like there's a millstone hanging around my neck.

"People still mock me for being weak. They say I shouldn't be here, that I'm useless, a loser.

"And in a way, I think they're right. I basically took the easy way in here, made everyone else's efforts seem like a joke."

There was a pause, before Jaune continued, "Actually, just this morning I was prepared to pack up and leave. Ask you to book me the first airship out of here and drop me off wherever.

"But… I don't know why, somehow, something changed. Maybe it was to do with Cardin and his lackeys, or maybe it was the Grimm." _'Or Ruby.'_ "I don't know."

Ozpin silently listened as the young Arc spoke, showing neither sympathy nor judgement. It was impossible to see through his impenetrable, impassive mien, though Jaune decided to push on nonetheless.

"My answer, headmaster, is that I don't have one. I'm staying here, fully knowing that I don't belong here, but I still want to. I don't know why, but I feel like that if I stick around long enough, try harder, then maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to find my reason to be here."

Silence stretched for seconds. Then minutes. Jaune felt uncomfortable, and wondered if he said the right thing, when Ozpin chuckled. "I'll admit, Mr. Arc. I too, expected you to choose the option of leaving. And yet, you came here to tell me that you still wish to stay, regardless of the hardships you'll no doubt face."

"It's either I find what I'm looking for here, or just signing my death warrant." Jaune smiled uneasily. "But I think I'll take the risk, just one more time."

"It's not everyday people act against my expectations, Mr. Arc." Ozpin drummed his fingers on the desk. "Still, it is your choice. Whether you can stand up to the consequences or not remains to be seen."

"I'll try my best, sir," Jaune replied, his fingers curling around the golden relic.

* * *

 **A/N: Been a while, huh? Work + general fatigue + lack of sleep = ? I'll let you figure this one out.**

 **This chapter is probably going to be the end of Act 1, and the next chapter will kick-start the second Act, where I'll be getting to the main parts of the story. Act - or Arc, if that's your cuppa - 1 was mainly to lay the foundation for the main plot to stand on, as well as start fleshing out the characters. Hopefully I did a decent job, but we all have our opinions, so regardless of how you view this story, thanks for faving, following, and/or reviewing! That being said, Act 2 and onwards will be just as dark (or darker) so consider this a friendly(?) reminder!**

 **This is also the part where I offer you the invitation to PM me about whatever, or express your honest opinions regarding my story, but hey, you knew that already.**

 **Edited: Victory3114 pointed out the bit about Jaune telling Cardin to pretty much screw off, so I made some changes to make it a bit more realistic. Thanks again for the heads up!**

 **Also a couple of things; yes, I'm now finally aware that Team CFVY is actually second years, not third, and yes, Crocea Mors, according to wiki pages, refers to both the sword and the shield. But for the sake of plot, I just decided to roll with CFVY being third years and Crocea Mors being just the sword, not the shield. Hope that clears up a few things. Still, do feel free to point things out, since the discrepancies from canon could either be intentional or a mistake on my part.**

 **As usual, thanks for reading!**


	10. Act 2: Chapter 1

**ACT 2: The Culling**

* * *

 _"Your hopes have become my burden. I will find my own liberation..."_

\- Blake Belladonna -

* * *

 **Note:** This is a background chapter, detailing events that took place before the first chapter of this story.

* * *

 **The Third Age**

 **Year 2101**

 **Mid-February**

 **Reinser Village**

The masked man weaved through the crowds, as small as it were. The sun had yet to rise, but for the inhabitants of Reinser village, life begin while the rest of the world remained asleep. Sturdy yet mud-stained architecture of wood and stone matched the locals and their faces and clothes smeared with aged dirt from years of exposure to the elements. Somewhere, tractors bellowed and coughed, dark fumes rising from the pipe. Some carried shovels and pikes, with a few odd wagons with creaking wheels, all trudging towards the village gate, toward the stout, towering walls further in the horizon, beyond the thick gate where the vast farmlands of Agricultural District – or _Nahren Matres_ , as the Valeans called it – stretched across the southern portion of the city of Vale.

A young man grunted as he pulled a wagon filled with rusted tools, occasional patches of scales barely visible under layers of grime. A young woman blinked sleep out of her eyes as she pushed the cart from behind, her furry ears drooping down the side of her head. An old man with yellowed tusks lumbered with a hunched back, sweat pouring down his face as if the very act of walking was taxing. A middle-aged woman fumbled with her trousers as she tucked in her tail, not wanting it to get in the way.

They were all different in more ways than one, yet they shared just as many similarities. The faces crusted with mud, the heaviness of their gait, the slumped shoulders, the looks of resignation after being forced through years of monotonous hardships.

His people. His brothers and sisters.

With gritted teeth he moved on, towards the tallest and the only building that wasn't coated with dirt, and without even bothering to knock he entered.

The lobby – small and sparsely furnished – was empty save for one lone soul who snoozed the day away, face buried under an old magazine.

The masked man frowned, his disdain only discernible by the thin line of his lips. His foot shot out and struck the nearby chair, hard enough to send the piece of furniture crashing into the wall. Startled by the noise, the sleeper woke up, the magazine slipping down to reveal a mousy face with complementing thin whiskers. "Whu-? Whozzat?"

The diminutive man blanched when he recognised the individual. "M-me apologies, good sir! I didn't mean to doze off, honest!"

"Had I been an intruder, you would've been the first to die," the masked man's quietly spoke, his voice as cold as the blade strapped to his side.

"I-I swear, good sir, that won't be happening again!"

"No," the man drawled, his fingers lightly caressing the black wrapped handle of his blade, "You won't."

"Wait wait wait!"

That was when the door slammed open somewhere above, soon accompanied by thunderous noise as heavy set of feet scampered down the stairs. "SHUT THE FUCK U-!" A giant roared, before abruptly ceasing as he took in the scene.

"Loud as ever, I see." The masked man flatly stated.

"Still the same arrogant piece of shit, eh?" The giant grinned toothily, though his hand slowly inched toward the handle of the monstrous chainsaw strapped to his back. The masked man responded in kind, glimmer of red showing as the blade was slowly drawn. The rat-faced man hugged the wall, eyes wide in fear as thick tension smothered him.

It was dispelled when someone coughed, and the two turned to see an unnaturally thin man at the feet of the steps. "As much as I'd like to see where this goes," the man began, his voice oily and warped, "Our leader suggested you gentlemen to tear each other apart _after_ our work is done. That, and the mayor would like to please ask you to refrain from spilling blood in his house, as they are rather difficult to clean and even more so explaining them."

Reluctantly they eased up, though exchanged a wordless hostility. With a disapproving shake of head the thin man waved at the mousy man, who in turn hurried to a bookshelf, before pulling out a book. A quiet click preceded the grinding of wood against stone as a section of the wall slid to the side, the beginning of a stone staircase descending downward barely visible in daylight. The beefy giant grumbled as he bent down, the passageway not tall enough to accommodate his well-over six feet height. One by one the pathway swallowed them, plunging them into complete darkness when the wall slid back into place.

The underground passage was poorly lit, occasional naked light bulbs fixated on the low ceiling barely shedding its light, though none of them seemed too bothered by the lack of illumination. The passage winded in a coil spiralling downward, and at the feet lied a steel door. The giant's meaty hand clanged loudly against the surface, and a metal plate slid to the side, revealing a pair of eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.

"Just a moment." The shutter closed, and at the same time sound of rattling chain and screech of metal against metal resounded from the other side of the door before it opened. A young woman stepped aside, her long black hair tied back in a loose ponytail, her black cat ears twitching as she allowed them through. Her golden eyes froze when it met with his reds, hidden behind the slits of his Grimm mask.

Under normal circumstances her face – usually tight and guarded – would often relax into a small quirk of her lips whenever they locked eyes, or when they were alone, not needing to fear others' scrutinising gazes.

Now, she looked troubled, as if she was trying her hardest to hide whatever that was eating at her. "Sir." Her acknowledgement came in clipped, formal tone, the kind that she used to address her superiors.

Adam grunted, but gave no further reply, nor was the girl waiting for one as she led them to another set of doors at the end of the narrow corridor, sliver of light peeking through the slits between the door and its frame. With a loud groan the door swung open, and inside they stepped in, to a wide spacious hall, bare walls with chipped paint coats and numerous cracks that ran across the surfaces. Sets of wooden doors was scattered about, each leading to more doors that sheltered rooms for equipment and personnel. It was just as ramshackle as the rest of the village, the only exception being the lack of stink.

A large round table stood in the centre, and around it many chairs, some which were claimed by men and women with differing animalistic features. At the 'head' of the table sat a man as big as the chainsaw-wielding Faunus, though instead of short black hair, wild fiery mane framed his scarred face. Like the rest, he wore black sleeveless vest under the white padded body armour, three jagged crimson lines running down a lupine beast's head painted in equal shade of red.

All eyes turned to the newcomer with varying looks, the scowls outnumbering the smiles. Adam paid them no heed, however.

"Adam," the lion Faunus rumbled, "I take it the infestation has been cleared out?"

Ever a man of few words, Adam gave a curt nod. Few of the frowns deepened, though reigned in from voicing their displeasure at what they perceived as disrespect. Adam Taurus was an arrogant man, but he had the skills – and the kills – to back his ego.

"Ah, that's great to hear, thank you." A portly man piped in from the side. Dressed in smart pinstripe suit that starkly contrasted with the decrepitude of Reinser village, the bald man was the black sheep of the room, in a literal sense. "We won't have to worry about Grimm prowling around the village for a while."

"Back to the plan, mayor." The Lion growled.

The sheep Faunus hastily nodded. "Yes, of course, of course."

Adam took one of the unclaimed seat. "Any changes I should be aware of?"

The leader of the White Fang shook his head. "No, we proceed as planned. The men are in place, they're just waiting for you to lead them."

"When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. But you won't be going alone." The Lion jerked his head, and the chainsaw-wielder grumbled under his breath.

Adam said nothing, but the Lion didn't bother to wait for his acknowledgement. "You're all aware of your orders. Carry them out, and starting tomorrow, we'll be one step closer to attaining our unified dream."

"Sir!" The gathered lieutenants saluted.

"That will be all. Make your preparations." The hall echoed with scraping of wood and metal as they filed out through the door. Just as Adam was about to follow, the Lion stopped him. "A word, Adam."

The feline Faunus paused at the doorway, throwing a curious glance behind her shoulder. Taking notice, Lowe the Lion waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

With a tight nod she departed, leaving the two men remaining seated in the hall. "Yes?"

"We're both in a rush, so I'll make this quick. It's about your 'apprentice'."

"What about her? Sir?" He added, not wanting to sound outright rude.

Lowe frowned. "Feigning ignorance doesn't suit you, lieutenant. You're perfectly aware of what I'm talking about here."

Adam said nothing, his face – or what wasn't covered by his mask – was blank and devoid of any hints to his inner thoughts. It made him difficult to read, and that made him a valuable ally, or a dangerous threat – sometimes both.

The Lion grunted. "Her recent actions cast many doubts about her allegiance to the White Fang and our ideals. Sparing our targets, her 'accidental failures', some of us are starting to question her loyalty, myself included."

"I'll be sure to… _discipline_ her, then." Adam flatly stated.

"Only the fact that she was with the organisation since its birth kept her alive for so long, despite her many failures. However, there are limits to how lenient we can be." A dangerous glint flashed past the Lion's yellow eyes. "See to it that you correct her, lieutenant. If she proves herself as a liability, or worse, a traitor to our cause…" He trailed off, though the message was clear.

With a stiff nod Adam Taurus excused himself. He didn't see the Lion's eyes stalking after his retreating form, full of suspicion.

* * *

Unlike other lieutenants and admins who occupied various rooms within the underground facility, Adam's quarter was one of the small houses far from the central part of the village. Its previous owner met an 'unfortunate encounter' with Grimm whilst foraging for food, and Adam wasted no time in claiming it for his own purposes. No one, both the residents and the White Fangs, dared to ask any questions.

No one bothered him either, which suited him just fine. Solitude often kept him company, though for the past several months his bed was kept warm by a woman, instead.

Hands met and fingers curled, her long black tresses fanned out as he hovered over her bare form, the pale moonlight reflected by her smooth, milky skin. She writhed beneath his wry yet powerful body, silent gasps and occasionally crying out as pleasure overtook her, raw primal urges driving them closer and closer to one another.

Adam Taurus was always in charge, whether it was in the field or in the bed. She didn't really mind, having come to terms with it all, the strange turn their strained and strict mentor-apprentice relationship took was rather recent, and not one borne from mutual connection of genuine attraction, but a carnal desire to lose themselves in the frenzy of pleasure that only naked skin could provide.

His name she called, barely louder than a whisper, soon replaced by a low moan. He quickly shut her up with his lips, his callused hands roaming her body as her smaller, dainty hands trailed down his. Lips still locked, they continued to sink deeper and deeper into the only world that wasn't plagued with struggles and strife, only to swim back up to the shore and shiver as chilling breath of reality enshrouded them.

Usually she'd silently gather her clothes and sneak out, with no one else being the wiser, and come morning the two would resume their strained relationship as a superior and his subordinate, until night fell.

But tonight she didn't. Instead with a strength he didn't know she possessed she flipped them over so that she sat on top of him. Her soft yellow eyes, usually so guarded, was like an open floodgate now, spilling her innermost thoughts and emotions, lust being the most prominent, though there was something else mixed in, like desperation. Longing.

His deep burgundy eyes, now open to the world with no masks to hide them, regarded her with a glint of surprise that disappeared as quickly as it came. The sudden reversal of dominance caught him off guard, though he was more curious than anything.

"Blake." He uttered her name. Not 'apprentice', not 'girl', but Blake.

She smiled just as a lone tear trickled down the corner of her eye. Adam said nothing, merely wiping it away with his finger, before gently taking her in his arms as she leaned into him. Neither left the bed until dawn came.

* * *

The trip was uneventful, if rather uncomfortable. Sneaking in the cargo bay of an aircraft posing as a logistics ship was all too easy. The security was lax, barely glancing at the paperwork before stamping it and giving them a green light. No one even bothered to take a thorough examination of the inventory, or even their flight path.

"Sloppy." The hulking bear Faunus summarised the entire security protocol, or lack thereof.

"Only because we're so deep within Vale." Blake murmured. "The border security was rather tight, and they'd think that any potential threats wouldn't have been able to get past them in the first place."

The chainsaw-wielder growled. "I don't remember giving you a permission to speak."

"But I do." Adam cut in frostily. "For the record, she is my subordinate, not yours. Watch who you're talking to, Brylls." He didn't flinch as he met the giant's challenging gaze.

The gathered men and women in identical combat attire looked away, uncomfortable with the tension between their two superiors. No one dared to step up to defuse the situation either, not after what happened to the last person who tried to.

"Sir, it's fine." Blake spoke in a low voice, before turning to the large Faunus. "My apologies, sir."

Brylls the Bear merely grumbled, before folding his arm and sinking into his seat. Adam leaned against the wall as Blake slid down next to him, her eyes unreadable.

The rest of the flight passed by in silence. As the Bullhead slowly descended, a few audibly sniffed, picking up the characteristic scent of Forever Fall with their keener senses. With a hiss the ramp slowly opened, letting the morning light flood in.

Blake openly gaped at the scenery before her, and she was certain she wasn't the only one, either. She has been sent to many places around Remnant for her missions before, though she hadn't seen anything quite like the landmark like this one, a place eternally frozen in red and orange hues of autumn. Rivers stretched towards the horizon, disappearing between the folds of mountains and hills.

"I've seen a painting of this place before," One of the fellow White Fang soldier murmured, "Only, I didn't think it'd be this beautiful."

Blake simply nodded, not knowing how to respond. The scenery was indeed breath-taking, but there was also something else, something she couldn't quite identify.

Brylls barked an order, and the recruits snapped out of daze and hastily followed their lieutenant, Blake trailing after Adam. A short climb up a hill came to a clearing, large enough for a small encampment to be set up, which already was. Blake then remembered Lowe already sent some of the men ahead to secure an area for temporary base before the main bulk of the forces arrived.

"Lieutenant!" One of the soldier addressed them, "We've been expecting you. Commander Lowe has filled us in, and we are prepared to move out, but…"

"But what?"

"Our scanner showed two separate cargo trains, each going in different directions. Both of them bear the Schnee mark, though we couldn't ascertain which one of the two is our target."

"Two?" Brylls repeated in disbelief. "Our intel said there would be only one! What the hell happened?"

"We-we can't be certain, sir. We checked multiple times, and without a doubt there were two of them."

The bear Faunus cursed loudly. "Fucking unbelievable. We don't have the time or the numbers to take on both trains at once. We'll just have to pick one and hope we get the right one."

"No, we hit them both." Adam announced as he stepped forward. All eyes turned to the swordsmen, a few in suspicion and most in mixture of fear and awe. "There's too much riding on this operation for us to see it fail. We can't risk relying on simple luck."

"No shit. So what's your plan, then? The way I see it, we can only divide our forces in two, and that'll stretch us thin."

Adam smirked. "Leave one of the trains to me. I'll let you and the rest of them handle the other one, Brylls."

Had he taken off his mask, his disbelief would've been painfully apparent to the world. "You've got to be bloody kidding me. You're going to take on the entire security force on your own?"

The swordsman turned and locked eyes with his apprentice. "Not on my own, no."

Brylls growled. "You cocky little shit. Just because you're the boss-man's favourite boy-toy you think you can do whatever the fuck you want? You're the one who said this mission was too important to leave to chances, and already you're planning on fucking it up!"

"I'm the one in charge of this mission, Brylls, not you. I'm giving you an order – carry them out."

With a roar the hulking man-bear lunged at the lithe blader, though his beefy arms only clawed empty air. Before he could even realise he missed, something solid struck him hard in the mid-section, causing him to double over reflexively, lowering his face directly into the waiting knee of one Adam Taurus.

His Aura worked to restore his broken nose, though it did little to numb the pain shooting through him, or the blood gushing out of his nose. A solid boot to his shoulder sent him flailing down on his back, just in time to see a slender crimson blade against his neck.

"Disobeying the orders of your superior is a treason, and treason can only be paid for in blood." Adam intoned coldly, before sheathing his blade.

Confused, both Brylls and the rest of the White Fangs could only watch at the unexpected display of mercy. "Only two things saved your life this day, Brylls. One, this mission takes priority over disciplinary actions. Two, dim-witted as you are, you're still an asset to the organisation. Until you outlived your usefulness, that's how it's going to stay."

Just as the Bear tried to rise to his feet, Adam's boots connected with his face once more, pinning it on the ground. "But disobey me again, and I won't be so lenient next time."

As a race, Faunus, with their unique heritages, possessed more than physical animalistic attributes. Their instincts were oftentimes more base, more animal, than normal humans. The instincts of survival, possessive behavioural instincts regarding territory and mates, and the instinct to challenge for supremacy, to claim dominance over another.

That same instinct told the bear Faunus the clear differences in power and authority. Adam Taurus was powerful, too powerful.

Grudgingly he managed a sound in affirmation, slowly picking himself up. No doubt after the humiliating display some of the wilder, rasher White Fang recruits would see this as an opportunity to assert their own dominance over their superior and ascend above the hierarchical ladder, if those primal glints in their eyes was anything to go by.

Not a moment too soon, a few stepped forward, their weapons already drawn. Nothing needed to be said, for their intents were all too clear.

With a feral grin he cracked his knuckles. They were welcome to try; after today's humiliation he could do with some blood-spilling to unwind. His chainsaw whirred to life, and soon the clearing echoed with the screams of young Faunus.

* * *

Blake was perched atop a small rock, on a tall and steep hill that overlooked the vast forest below. Red leaves and petals fluttered about in the gentle wind, and Blake let her eyes drift shut, letting the serenity of the forest wash through her being, however brief it was.

Blake Belladonna. He had high hopes for the girl. She had natural talents. But more importantly, she had determination. Hatred. The burning desire to make their voices heard from the shadows of humankind, to retake back their independence, their light. He saw a kindred spirit in her, that's what compelled him to take her in as his first and only apprentice.

Adam was silent as he gazed at her, many thoughts running through his head, yet little of them ever slipping through. He was aware that Blake was different, changed. Gone was the grief-stricken orphan hell-bent on revenge against humankind, leaving in her place a look-alike who was solemn and weary, emotionally distant yet with a glimmer of a compassionate heart. She no longer killed with absolute faith in their ideals, instead questioning them and her superiors, about their intents.

At some point he stopped being able to read her, in part due to his own cold impassivity that he taught her. It wasn't perfect though, and the glimpses of uncertainty he saw in her eyes, like now…

He decided he didn't like it.

"Blake," He uttered, "It's time."

She looked away, not meeting his gaze. After a moment came a quiet reply.

"…Okay."

* * *

It was a long and intense fight, one that Adam hadn't experienced in a while. Even so, Faunus reigned supreme, and the Schnee's arachnid war machine lay at his feet, now nothing more than a broken heap of metal. The train and its Dust cargo now belonged to the White Fang, its small human crew already dealt with. A surgical strike against their blood enemies and, in turn, the humanity.

And yet, the sweetness of victory soon turned bitter as the train coupling was cleaved apart, the engine compartment carrying Blake further and further away. Other units had their own individual self-propulsion mechanisms, though with the crews – both human and non-human – wiped out, there was no way of catching up now.

He reached out his arms, though let it fall. He knew the dangers of letting her walk free. Lowe's threats weren't unfounded; Blake knew too much about their organisation to ever be free of them. Now that she truly set herself on a different path, she was no longer a valued part of the White Fang. Now, she was a threat.

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to draw his blade, easily close the gap between them with his inhuman physical abilities. He could only watch as her form grew smaller and smaller, fading into the distance as the train took her away from him, her face smeared with tears.

Something throbbed in his being, something strange yet familiar, something he hasn't felt for a long, long time.

The feeling of loss.

Solitude was his close companion, yet for the first time its touch felt colder than ever.

"Blake…"

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of Forever Fall, another skirmish took place, albeit one bloodier and messier than the other. Gunfires blazed and metals clashed against another as masked insurgents forces invaded the Schnee cargo train.

It started off smoothly enough; wait for the train to stop in a station to re-fuel, ambush them and infiltrate the stationary train. Only maintenance crew blocked their ways, and with no proper weapons to defend themselves they were easily gunned down by the rebels. The train itself offered little in terms of resistance either, with simple outdated androids acting as guards. Their sheer number made up for their lack of finesse, however, and Brylls and his men soon found themselves fighting for control over the train.

One of the mechanised knights rushed at him, though he easily blocked it with his bare hand, before ramming his chainsaw through its body with the other hand. With a yell he swung the monstrous weapon in an arc, cleaving through three at once. Looking around he saw the last of the android guards fell, and he raised his fist in triumph as his men did the same, their cries of victory almost deafening. "For the White Fang! For freedom!"

"For freedom!" They yelled as they dove into the boxcars, eagerly prying open the containers carried within.

A part of his mind, one that rarely saw use, briefly realised just how easy the entire operation was, given its importance to their organisation. For a freight train transporting valuable Dust and weapons, the security was negligent, criminally so.

"Sir!" One of the recruits called out.

"What?" Brylls barked.

"The cargos, they're empty! There's nothing inside!"

"What?!" And true enough, only empty containers littered the boxcars. No weapons, no Dust, nothing. "How-?"

Just then one of the soldiers abruptly jerked back, collapsing with a hole in his head, oozing blood. More followed even before they could scream, and Brylls raised his chainsaw just in time to see several bullets ricocheting off the surface.

Then he saw them. White frame armour with Schnee's accursed symbol printed on the front, a whole army of white Atlesian Knights approached the train, led by humans. With a roar fuelled with rage Brylls charged as the rest of his men followed, and both sides opened fire.

His chainsaw sliced through the air, barely missing its prey as the human adversary jumped back, drawing a pair of combat knives from her holsters around her legs. It split open to form multi-pronged daggers, the tips glistening with something transparent. She effortlessly ducked under his powerful yet clumsy swings, quickly slashing before leaping back to safety. His Aura was being chipped away, soon giving out when she scored a thin but long cut on his arm, drawing blood.

With a growl he swung his arm, by sheer luck connecting it with the girl's neck. Clutching her throat she curled up, the brute strength behind his blow powerful enough to deal a great damage even with her Aura up and active.

"Raarr! DIE!" The chainsaw whirred, rearing to taste blood again. Something whizzed past and struck him on the arm, then his leg, then his chest. With his Aura down there was nothing to stop the projectiles as they bit into his flesh.

Falling to his knees, he could only glare as another human stepped forward, thin wisps of smoke rising from the tip of his revolver barrels. With a cocky grin he placed the tip of his gun to the Bear's brow, finger curling around the trigger.

"Fuck." The Bear spat.

* * *

"Captain? This part's clear, we've neutralised the insurgents."

The 'captain' tapped the transceiver on her ear just as she pulled her schiavona out from a corpse. "Good. Inform the General that their encampment in Forever Fall has been cleared out."

"What shall we do with the bodies, ma'am?"

The captain took a moment to survey the ruin. "Leave them, the Grimm will clean up after us."

"Yes ma'am!"

She terminated the comm link just as the humming of engine preceded the arrival of Atlesian dropships for personnel extraction. Not that the soldiers were needed in the first place, the entire encampment was decimated by her alone while the rest of the army took on the roles as audience to carnage that ensued.

Greater they were in numbers, but she had what the White Fang insurgents didn't; skills and thirst for revenge. Those two traits were all the weapon she needed before she tore into the battlefield, slaughtering them like the animals they were.

"Scavenge anything of use, but be quick about it. I'd rather avoid fighting Grimm if I can help it." The captain commanded, somewhat harsher than she intended.

The human soldiers, small in number, nodded before they set off, their android counterparts taking a tad longer to register the vocal command and entering it in their binary protocols.

A minute shake of her head was the extent of her perspective regarding the newer AK models. More sophisticated than the old AK-130's, the new 200's were equipped with finer, more 'flexible' design of construction, capable of moving and acting in ways more similar to real human beings than stiff machines. Still, as prototypes they still had need of improvements. As advanced as the AI was, they were far from truly mimicking a real human individuality and autonomy.

Well, there was one exception to this, though it was heavily confidential, kept secret even from the governing body of Atlas kingdom. She herself was one of the few who was aware of the so-called 'project', and even then the finer details were unknown to her. She had seen the specimen with her own eyes before, and the little she saw was more than enough to change her perspectives about the power of human ingenuity.

"Captain?" She was shaken out of her stupor as one of the soldiers addressed her.

"What is it?"

"Clayton and Anthony, ma'am. Their lines are dead. They're not responding."

She frowned. It was only a little while ago that she sent the two young Hunter brothers with some men to secure and reclaim the Dust cargo train. "Forgot to keep the transceiver on again? I swear… what of the soldiers with them? Did they all suddenly forget how leave them on?"

"Still nothing, ma'am. Maybe… did something happen to them?"

The captain bit back the urge to sigh. Wiping out the Faunus extremists didn't require the Venator Guild's assistance, considering they had more important matters to tend to, though she couldn't help but think if her colleagues were indeed here instead of legions of faceless soldiers the matter would've been easily resolved without a hitch.

A white runic circle glowed beneath her feet, before the light pulsed and sent her flying high into the air. Flipping gracefully in mid-air, several sets of Glyph fields materialised, and she used them as platforms on her way down to the ground, toward the railway line, where her family's cargo train lay still.

Clouds of dust and red petals billowed as her feet touched the ground. She heard the scuffle before she saw it, atop the train car, where bodies, both organic and machine, lay scattered in pools of blood and torn metal. In the centre of the carnage stood a man, Faunus, judging by the twisted horn jutting out of his head in fiery mop of hair. Blood soaked his entire body, even his already crimson blade held in one hand. The other grabbed a fistful of hair of a head, the body abandoned nearby.

Sensing the presence of another the man turned around, blood-splattered mask covering his eyes. "Another one?" He scoffed, though there was a trace of fatigue in his voice.

"I wasn't aware there were survivors. No matter, it makes little difference in the end." She drew her prized shiavona, Alseid. It was slightly different from its standard straight blade design, rather resembling a sabre with its slight curvature.

"Survivors? What are you on about?"

She allowed herself to smile. "A bit slow, I see. Not that I can blame you. Your fellow degenerates didn't really put up much of a fight. I doubt they'd had the time to call for help, assuming they were smart enough how to use those communicators."

The man looked taken aback. "No…"

Her smile grew more feral. "Yes. Your little camp is nothing more than a smouldering ruin now, and your terrorist friends will soon end up as Grimm food." White Glyph circles formed under her feet as she readied herself for the extermination. "And you're the loose end. After I kill you here, the ghosts of my kin on the other side will finally be able to rest in peace."

Adam snarled, lips curled to reveal gritted teeth. "White hair, that insufferable arrogance… you must be a Schnee." He tossed the severed head in his possession at her feet, and she vaguely recognised it as one of the two Hunter graduates she sent earlier. "I'll enjoy breaking you, like the rest of these humans."

Winter laughed. "These soldiers you killed were simply fodders, the two Hunters only weeks out of graduating from a Hunter academy. It's clear that you're quite skilled, but let's see how you fare against a Venatrix."

Adam barely had the time to register her words before she lunged at him in a blink of an eye, propelled forward by the mystical force of her Glyphs. Years of honed reflex was the only thing that saved him from being cut in half, his blade blocking hers. Leaping back, she darted at him, unleashing hail of thrusts and slashes.

Beads of sweat rolled down his face, mingling with his blood leaking from his wounds from his earlier fights. Already he was injured and tired, and it was all he could do to deflect and parry her blows, though his fatigue began to show, as few strikes sneaked past his defences and cut into him.

The air hummed as mystical energy thrummed, thin but sharp spears of ice crystallising in mid-air before rocketing towards the injured blader. He twisted and flipped to avoid them, using the firepower of his Blush to shoot down the ones he couldn't dodge in time.

"Not bad, for a mongrel." Winter commented mockingly.

With a snarl Adam sheathed his sword and rushed at her, before lashing out with his characteristic quick-draw strike. It cleaved through the steel containers haphazardly strewn about, though Winter was fast enough to avoid them, and land behind his back. Unprepared, Adam could only cross Wilt and Blush to block the brunt of the damage as sharp, jagged spires of ice shot from below, sending him up higher and higher.

The Venatrix quickly followed through by summoning another field of Glyphs, this time small flocks of ice freezing into existence and flying straight towards the airborne Faunus. Circling around his form they coalesced to form a thick prison of ice, locking his body from moving. He could do nothing except helplessly watch as his immobilised body careened downward by gravity's pull, unable to shift his body to prevent a lethal touchdown.

Winter's smug look of triumph quickly soured when she realised her aim was off. She intended for him to slam down on the train car, though the momentum behind her attacks was more than what she intended. The sea of crimson forest swallowed the man and his ice coffin whole, the rustling of leaves soon accompanied by a dull thud.

Wind buffeted around her, and she looked up to see a tiltjet slowly growing larger as it made its descent. The Atlesian symbol saw to her sheathing her blade, and one of the human soldiers motioned for her to as the military aircraft hovered over the train.

"About time, soldier." Winter scoffed.

"My apologies for our late arrival, ma'am. But you suddenly took off, and-"

"No matter, take us back to HQ. And get maintenance crew down there, I want the trains repaired and back in working order." She curtly cut in as she stepped into the aircraft, though not before glancing back over her shoulder. The soldier saluted in affirmation and relayed the directive. She took the moment to lean back on her seat, and pondered whether she should've confirmed the animal's death for certainty, then waved it off. Not only was he grievously injured, he was stranded in a hostile location far from civilisation. That, and with so much blood spilled and death lingering in the air, Grimm would no doubt soon flood the areas of slaughter like crows to carrion. Either way, he was already a dead Faunus. Just like the rest of those filthy degenerates that claimed the lives of her blood kin. Not anymore, though.

Winter Schnee allowed the arms of slumber to embrace her wholly, and with a smile fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **Reinser Village**

 **9 hours ago**

The whiskered man, or the Mouse, as they called him, flipped through stacks of paper piled on his desk with an enthusiasm of a man watching blades of grass grow. Another yawn escaped his mouth, and he really wanted nothing more than to take a quick nap. It was pleasantly cool in the little lobby, being the only facility in this rundown village to have a proper air conditioning installed, reducing the blistering summer heat down to a manageable level. Autumn was just around the corner, yet the days remained as scorching as ever. He could only imagine how much his fellow White Fang soldiers out in the field was going through, and for a moment he was grateful that he was pushing papers instead of bodies. At least it was nice and cool in here.

Leaning against the wall was the thin man, typing away in a computer before him, completely absorbed in his work, the yellow slits of his eyes darting side to side. Occasionally his forked tongue flicked between the slits of his mouth before it disappeared back inside just as quickly. Mouse didn't think he would ever get used to seeing that, considering how snakes stood above the rats in the food chain.

The diminutive man didn't realise he was staring until the thin Faunus gave him a cold look. "Yes?"

"A-ah, nothing, nothing at all."

The Snake sighed. "If you've got time to waste on daydreaming, then I suggest you return back to your work."

The Mouse grumbled, but reached for another wad of paper regardless. He knew better than to defy his superior. The rough beating he got back in his childhood was all the lesson he needed.

Besides, not like it was going to matter anyway. Not for long.

Tentatively he rose from his chair, trying to look as nonchalant as he could. "B-bathroom."

The snake Faunus fixed him a flat look before waving him off. With a nervous nod the mousey man stepped into the male bathroom, before silently locking the door behind him. Standing on his tiptoe he reached up and pushed open the window as far as he could. It was a narrow space, but just wide enough for him to slip through and fall in an unceremonious heap on the bed of weed below. Probably for the first time in his entire miserable life he thanked the lucky stars for his small physical stature.

Dusting himself off, he briskly made his way towards the rickety village gate. Sure enough, the Mouse found the portly mayor by the gate, profusely sweating under his thick suit. Vaguely Mouse realised that there was no one else around, not even the occasional passer-by's.

The mayor, the Sheep, was conversing with a tall male, human, judging by the lack of distinguishable Faunus features, complete with black and gray attire, with an ornate greatsword strapped to his back, covered by a red tattered cloak.

"Ah, so there's our rat." The human jovially called out, though his red eyes didn't match his tone. "Been wondering when you'd show up. Not that it matters, mind you."

The mousey man squeaked, rapidly nodding. "H-he's inside, down in the basement. There's a secret switch, a red book on the right shelf. There are only few guards inside, most of them left early this morning."

"Is that right?" The red-eyed man grinned. "Well then, might as well as get started. Wouldn't want those Atlesians to get all the fun, eh?"

"H-hey, wait a second good sir!" The Mouse tugged at his sleeves. "I am getting paid for this, right?"

"So that's why, huh? Figures." The red-eyed man muttered with a stony look. Not even bothering to spare the shorter man a glance his greatsword was in his hand, the blade folding into its shotgun form. The last thing Mouse saw was the explosion of fire and light. With a wet thump the small man's corpse titled backwards, his face – or what was left of it – hanging on by few threads of meat.

"Wh-what did you do that for?" The mayor cried out in alarm, squawking in terror when the gun barrel prodded him in the neck. "N-no, wait wait! Please, we had a deal! Don't kill me, please!"

With a huff the human retracted his blade, though didn't sheathe it. "You would've joined this bastard if it wasn't for the fact that you were doing this for your villagers."

"I-I…"

"Save it. I've got bigger shits to deal with. I'll leave you to roll the waiting mat for our guests." With a flippant wave of his hand the man carried on with an air of nonchalance.

With a loud crash the door was kicked down, ripped right from its hinges. A very thin man behind the desk vaulted over with a whip in his hand, though he had no chance to use it before he was swatted aside with the mechanised greatsword. Looking around, he found an oddly placed red book on the shelf, a pleasant smirk growing on his face as something inside the wall clicked, before it opened to reveal a passage leading downward, into pitch black darkness.

"Pain in the ass." He grumbled, squinting into the dark depths. Giving it up as a lost cause, he sighed and stepped into the passageway, letting his instincts and other senses to guide him. More than once his head brushed past objects hanging from the ceiling, and careful examination showed them as naked lightbulbs, fixed to the ceiling with power cables taped to the low ceiling.

"So, they've got these set up. But they're not on, which means either the power's out…" Or they were waiting for him, somehow aware that there was an intruder. Lack of lighting was most likely intentional, perhaps to adjust the surrounding to make things even more difficult for the intruder to fight effectively. What with the low ceiling to prevent intruders from standing upright, it was a clever little defence mechanism. Average soldiers would definitely think twice before venturing without a solid plan.

Then again, he was far from average.

He closed his eyes, and the familiar sensation of coldness enveloping him returned. For a brief instance he felt weightless, formless, as if his very existence instantly faded away into nothingness, before it all came back rushing in.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself crouched in the shadowy corner of a spacious hall brightly lit. The walls were bare, with numerous cracks running through exposed brick layers. It was just as shitty as the rest of the shitty village, only it stunk a lot less.

On the other end of the hall a handful of men and women, all decked out in identical sets of White Fang uniform stood, guns pointed at the sealed door and all their backs turned to him. Clearly they never expected their intruder to find another way in, albeit by unconventional means.

Never one to pass up a chance to make an entrance, he cleared his throat. Instantly all heads snapped behind their back, and some shrieked in astonishment. "H-how did you-?!"

"You know, there's something really hilarious about turning the tables on your would-have-been ambushers." The red-eyed man chuckled. "The looks on your faces, man, do I live off shits like this!"

A bulky man with fiery mane cracked his knuckles. "I don't know how you got in here, human scum, but I do know that you won't be going back out." He signalled and all the guns pointed at the intruder. "If you've got any last words, now's the time, human."

"Just two." The gears in his greatsword grinded as the blade folded, resuming its ranged form. "Lights out." He then pulled the trigger in multiple succession, the ballistic rounds shattering the lights and casting the whole interior in darkness.

"Foolish human! Didn't you know that we Faunus can see in the dark? I thought you were stupid when you snuck here on your own, now I'm starting to think you've got a death wish!" The Lion man roared, his massive gauntlets extending to its battle form. "Fire!"

Lights flashed dizzily as the insurgents opened fire, before darkness claimed dominance and was banished repeatedly. In the chaotic frenzy, they lost sight of the intruder, who somehow disappeared from the room.

"Cease fire! I said cease fire!" Lowe bellowed, and the White Fang rebels complied, looking around wearily. A ghostly laugh echoed eerily through the room, and the armed Faunus shivered as if the very air in the hall suddenly grew colder.

Then one of the insurgent screamed as the soldier next to her was cleaved in half by invisible forces. Another soon joined when one rebel's head rolled off the shoulder, limply falling on the floor. Something whistled and writhed in the darkness, and two more joined the ranks of the dead on the floor in pieces.

Blood splatters appeared on their own, angrily criss-crossing the bare walls as if painted by an unseen hand. It soon twisted up and down the wall, leaving behind a message written in blood.

 **I SEE YOU.**

Panic ensued, and a woman screamed in hair-raising terror, before she was abruptly silenced with a wet squealch. Another soldier, in his bout of terror-induced panic, wildly opened fire, three of his allies getting caught in the hailstorm of bullets. Lowe had no choice but to take him down, sending him flying into the wall on the opposite end of the hall hard enough to break his spine.

Now it was just him. Him, and this… thing.

"Where are you?" Lowe shouted, torn in anger and terror, "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

" **Where did I go?" "Where did I go?" "Where did I go?" "Where did I go?" "Where did I go?"** The ghostly laugh returned.

Sweat ran down the Lion's brow in thick rivulets. His night vision was useless, not when his enemy was seemingly one with the darkness itself. All his life, Lowe was the very persona of the courage befitting his namesake, bravely fighting against whatever life threw in his way. No human or Faunus bullies rattled him, no Grimm too big or deadly to shake him. He was the leader of the White Fang, the voice of the oppressed, the claws of the downtrodden.

And yet, for the first time in many years, he felt the tendrils of real fear gripping him tight, and suddenly he was five years old again, shivering under his blanket as the things that go bump in the night prowled under his bed, peeking through the open slits of his wardrobe, watching him through the mirror when the boy looked away, those red, red eyes piercing through him.

With a snap of a finger the Lion returned back to the past, only to see the same red eyes floating in the darkness, amorphous wisps of darkness keeping it afloat.

Lowe couldn't look away, sheer terror freezing him in place.

The darkness smiled. "Boo."

The Lion's scream went unheard by those who dwelled above.

* * *

The red-eyed man whistled nonchalantly as he reached into his pocket, drawing out a flask. Uncorking it he downed its content, welcoming the cool rush of Jack Daniels down his throat.

"Drinking during work is highly unprofessional, Mr. Branwen." He lazily looked up to see a young girl in a beret, her blue eyes as dull as her clipped tone. Her rich bronze skin contrasted with her formal get-up of white shirt and blue skirt, though in a way pleasant to the eye. Had he been in his teens, the girl would've definitely garnered his interest, though now in the present, he just wanted to be left alone with his drink.

"Your boss is letting kids run around playing soldier, and somehow me drinking is a problem?" Qrow raised his brow.

"I assure you, Mr. Branwen, I'm merely here to accompany my charge, and keep my duties as an administrator under the orders of General Ironwood." The girl intoned, her voice lacking any real voice.

A tall man lumbered through the ruined doorway, before his eyes zeroed in on Qrow's. Standing by his side was a young girl, freckles matching her carrot mops, with green eyes that were far too bright to be considered real. Unlike the dark-skinned girl she wore a pleasant smile with a personality to match, judging by how she gave him a friendly wave.

"Penny? What did I tell you about interacting with strangers?" The serious girl scolded the ginger, or at least he thought she was – he couldn't really tell with her flat voice.

"Ah, my apologies! I got ahead of myself!" Hopping on the balls of her feet she raised her hand. "Salutations! My name is Penny, but you can call me Penny!"

"Penny, that'll do for today. Miss Soleil, if you would."

"Of course, sir. Penny, this way…" The monotonous girl led her bubbly companion out the door, who merely hummed merrily as she was escorted out of the premise.

A tense, awkward moment passed between the two men. "So uh, what the hell was that?"

"It's nothing." Ironwood brushed it off. "She's rather… special, let's just leave it at that."

"'Special', huh?" Qrow absently wondered. "So, which one of them is the android?"

Ironwood gave him a stony look, and Qrow raised his hands. "Alright, alright, I'll drop it."

The war veteran leaned forward. "Why didn't you wait for us like you were instructed?"

"What, and let you hog all the fun?" Qrow scoffed.

"The orders were clear; we needed the leader alive." Ironwood frowned disapprovingly.

"He looked very much alive to me."

The Atlesian General rubbed his brow. "Let me rephrase it then, alive _and_ mentally sound."

"So I gave the fucker a little scare, big deal."

"Do you even understand the gravity of the situation here, Branwen?" Ironwood looked less than pleased. "Their leader's the only one who knows where the rest of the White Fang are hiding! Who knows if he'll ever calm down enough to give us the damned answers!"

"That doesn't sound like a problem. Your government's pretty damn good at sticking their noses in places they don't belong, right? Shouldn't be too long before they sniff out their trails." Sarcasm was not lost on the older man.

"There could've been another potential source of information, from what I've heard." Ironwood decided to ignore the jab.

"Before I fucking blew his head off, yeah."

"Damnit Qrow-!"

"The only reason I didn't kill that tub of fat of a mayor was because he was selling out his kind to save his villagers, his illegal acts of sheltering said criminal organisation notwithstanding," Qrow interrupted, cold fire burning in his eyes, "That rat-faced fucker sold out his kind for a pocket change. If there's one thing that I hate, Jimmy, it's traitors."

Ironwood sighed. "Only if you had the foresight to wait-"

"But I didn't. End of discussion." Qrow took a draught from his flask, grunting when nothing came out. "If you want your damn information so badly, then I'll take a look around. Can't promise anything, though."

The General sighed, something people, himself included, found doing often when conversing with one Qrow Branwen. "Then I'll leave you to it. Alert us as soon as you find a lead."

Qrow's only parting gesture was a lazy wave of his hand.

* * *

Somewhere in the dark streets of Vesta, or the residential district, a lone figure briskly navigated through the labyrinthine footpaths. Hoods drawn and hands deep in jacket pockets, the individual often looked around, as if checking to see if he was being followed. His concerns were largely unfound, as most Valeans retired for the night and found little reason to be out in the streets.

She could tell it was a male, a young man. The posture, the haggard breathing, loud footsteps, she could hear them all, see him, even in the cover of darkness. He was doing a decent job of keeping himself unnoticeable, though for someone who spent years practising the fine art of stealth in the shadows, the young man's efforts were clumsy at best.

He made an abrupt turn, disappearing into a narrow gap between two non-distinctive building, though not before taking another final check to make sure he was alone. Satisfied, he squeezed through the gap, into a small rectangular clearing, a boarded door and bags of trash piled in one corner the only thing this dreary place offered.

"C'mon, where is he?" The young man muttered, looking every bit as uncomfortable. He yelped when something dropped down from above, only realising it was someone as the figure rose, though he could barely make out the outlines of the said person.

"A-are you the courier?" The young man tentatively asked.

With a barely perceptive nod the 'courier' nodded. "I've been tasked to deliver your goods." A mellow feminine voice spoke from the shadow. A girl? That was unexpected. He naturally assumed it was a guy.

"Uh, thanks. What do I owe you?" He asked as the courier handed over a thick envelope.

If he could see in the dark, he would've seen her small smile. "Nothing. Just take care on your way back."

"Wow, uh..." He didn't know what to say, certainly not expecting the generosity, given the kind of people he struck a deal with were. Had it been under normal circumstances, he would've asked for her name, but for this kind of dealing, confidentiality was a given. No questions, just strict business. "Thanks-"

He looked up, only to see that he was alone; the girl disappeared with barely a sound. Confused, he looked around, though he couldn't find any trace of her anywhere. With a shrug, he took the envelope in his hands. It was incredibly risky; while the crimes of fraudulence were nowhere near as severe as murder, if found it could seriously damage his reputation, forever marking him on the blacklist of many Academies and Institutions not just in Vale, but around Remnant. It was a gamble, a risky one at that.

A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed. Yet, despite the possible consequences, he still pocketed it. With this, he might finally find a place where he could belong, to be as great as he could be. It was a decision that could either make or break him.

He let out a deep breath. "I can do this, I can do this." He just had to. Otherwise the name of Arc would mean nothing to him. "I can do this."

* * *

Perched on a rooftop, the courier finally allowed herself a moment of rest, after confirming that the envelope, rather identical to the one she delivered mere minutes ago, was safely tucked away in her coat pocket. Running delivery jobs for Hei Xiong, or 'Junior' as his alias went, had its perks, it seemed. The man was a trove of connections, like those who could weave a convincing history out of thin air and whiskey to completely change someone. Interesting, but definitely questionable.

Not that she minded. Compared to the dirty deeds she did in the name of White Fang, little tweaks of paper here and there was almost an honest work for Blake. And for once this wasn't for the organisation, it was for herself.

It hasn't been easy, and she had days, weeks, to seriously question where her life would lead to next. In those past weeks since she left the organisation, she had reflected on her past deeds, sins, and what she wanted to do from there. To atone for all the lives she took. To fight for a better world where humans and Faunus would one day stand shoulder to shoulder, as equals.

Blake knew how naïve that sounded, she already saw far too much to ever believe that to be true.

But without a purpose, what was the point of carrying on? She had to fight for something, even if it was for an impossible dream.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry, it's been a while, huh? My internship's been keeping me busy, along with other schmucks life saw fit to throw in my direction.**

 **Anyhoo, I've been skimming through the past chapters, and I'm thinking about re-writing some of them, hopefully nothing too major, just making little changes here and there, mainly tweaking Jaune's parts here and there. I didn't really notice it during the time of writing, but angst is kinda strong with this one. My attempts of trying to not make him an OP character may have gone a bit further than I would've liked. But we'll see. Actually scratch that, re-writing is definitely on the agenda.**

 **Now, about this chapter - I've always wondered how the White Fang operates as an organisation. Terrorists they are, but they're also part animals, too. The whole notion of 'challenge and overthrow the alpha to become the top dog' seemed to fit not just the White Fang, but Faunus as a race. On the subject of White Fang, apologies for the introduction of several OC's (though a few of them won't be sticking around for much longer); the canon only has like, what, two notable WF members? And of the two the chainsaw-guy doesn't even have an official name. Blake doesn't count, considering she's no longer affiliated with them.**

 **I just watched Winter and Qrow duking it out in Beacon Courtyard on youtube a few days ago, and I just had to include them in this chapter, both of them leading the operation to eradicate the White Fang, though in the latter's case it was more as a freelancer than as a military figurehead. I don't think Qrow's Semblance was ever revealed (assuming he has one?) but I took the liberty of giving him one in this story, though I've dropped one or few hints in past chapters anyway.**

 **Also, I know that in the last chapter A/N I mentioned how Act 2 would be darker; it still is, but that doesn't mean every single chapter from hereon will be all about torturing the characters and make everyone's lives a living hell. I wrote this story as a darker take on the world portrayed in canon materials, so of course it wasn't going to be all fun and games. Not all the time, anyway.**

 **As usual, thanks for favouriting/following/reviewing this story. You guys rock.**


	11. Act 2: Chapter 2

**ACT 2: In Inceptum Finis Est**

* * *

 _"Oft hope is born when all is forlorn."_

 _-_ J.R.R. Tolkien -

* * *

 **A/N: Oookay, turned out the background chapter went on longer than I expected. Consider this the second part of the first chapter of Act 2.**

* * *

A lone Bastet sniffed at the limp hand, poking out of the vast tangles of undergrowth that wasn't uncommon in the forest forever frozen in the crimson of fall. The panther Grimm's jaw didn't clamp down on the flesh just yet, trying to determine whether it was fresh by its smell alone. Fresh meat – especially when it was still warm and blood still flowing – was far better than a cold carcass, after all.

Just as it bared its fangs, the hand suddenly came to life, the fingers snaking around the Bastet's lithe throat. The Grimm whimpered and struggled, though the grip was steadfast and like iron, and soon the glowing hue of its red eyes dimmed as the Grimm fell on its side, dead.

Relinquishing its hold over the dead Grimm the hand swatted away at the foliage, ripping tangled vegetation until the man trapped within could free himself from the binds. Adam tried to stand up, only to fall back on his knees with a curse. The aftereffects of the ice attack, courtesy of the Schnee, had yet to completely fade, and the injuries sustained from the fall was slow to heal, having little to no Aura to accelerate the recovery process.

Using his Blush as a makeshift crutch the blader struggled to his feet once more, only managing by sheer force of will. His legs shook and buckled, and gave out. Every time he fell, he stood back up, forcing himself to take another step forward, another step. He couldn't stay here, not in his current state.

That, and he had to see it with his own eyes. His brothers and sisters in arms, dead? No, that Schnee wench must've been lying, as a Schnee was wont to do.

But then again she wasn't just a Schnee, she was a Schnee _and_ a Venatrix, never a good combination. If he himself couldn't best one of them, what chance did his far-less skilled comrades have?

Suppressing the growing sense of dread, he pushed on, for how long he did not know, but eventually he reached past the line of trees that gave way to a clearing, where a wide railway track ran across the ground. He heard the sound of ripping flesh and snapping bones before he saw the carnage with his own eyes.

The Grimm, big and small, littered the open space, too busy feasting on their food to take note of the lone swordsman. A Hanuman, easily twice his size, beat its thick bony chest with its trunk-like arms, before reaching down to grab a limp body of a White Fang soldier by the leg, the other torn off and in the jaws of a Creep. The mask slipped down the unfortunate soldier's face, revealing a girl who looked far too young to be involved in a rebellion, much less meeting such cruel fate. Even unluckier was how she was still alive, weak groans escaping her blood-matted face, scrunched in pain and fear.

Her eyes locked on to his, and a brief spark of life returned to her eyes, her lips moving silently, with no words coming out.

 _Helpmehelpmehelpme-_

Blood exploded as the simian Grimm snapped its powerful jaw, biting the girl in half and tossed the uneaten portion aside. The smaller Grimm soon flocked around it, picking it clean with brutal efficiency, leaving nothing behind.

His rage pulled him towards the Grimm, to rip the unholy creatures to shreds just as they had done to his comrades. A beastly shriek alerted the gathered Grimm as the injured swordsman charged, his pain forgotten. The crimson blade Wilt hissed to life as it cleaved through the leathery hides of the man-eaters, the rifle-sheath Blush roaring as it spat lead after lead.

Adam spun, the spinning blade separating the head of a Beowolf from its shoulders. A growl from behind preceded the bulky paw of an Ursa Major swinging towards his head like a sledgehammer. Too slow to duck, he stabbed forward, the Mistralian-forged blade piercing through its arm. The Grimm roared in pain but did not relent, holding a firm grip on the blade and locking the crippled blader in place.

Adam struggled to pull free, but in his weakened state the stout Grimm easily bested him in contest of strength. Another Grimm took the advantage and struck his unguarded back, scoring a deep gash. The world grew brighter when a Grimm swiped at his face, the claw shattering his mask and cutting into his nose.

A sharp hiss was all the indication he gave of the raw pain lancing through his body, and with it dispersed the brief spike of adrenaline that allowed him to push himself beyond his physical limits. Fatigue loosened the tense muscles, blurred his vision as he sank to one knee, as the Grimm began to converge on their helpless prey.

Then suddenly the world was bathed in fire, and bringing with it the darkness.

* * *

"Finally." A red-eyed girl panted as she doubled over, clutching her knees. She threw a dark look over her shoulder when her companion cat-called, his cool eyes taking in the rather compromising position she was in.

"Really Merc? Really?" She huffed as she straightened up, crossing her arms over her chest.

Mercury lazily smirked. "What can I say? It's a nice ass."

Emerald flicked his nose. "Enough, you moron. Save it for later, right now we've got work to do." With a coy look she walked past him, her tantalising hips swaying more than usual.

"Tease." The assassin growled.

"If you two are done," a woman spoke, "then we can resume." Her feet lightly touched the ground as she descended, the aura of fire enveloping her frame dissipating. All around the trio, vast sea of fallen Grimm decorated the area, the younger one disintegrating swiftly to dust while the more ancient creatures remained still. Wild fire broke out, sending thick plumes of smoke rising above as the fauna unique to kingdom of Vale slowly burned away. None of the trio seemed too bothered by the fact, however.

"So, this is him?" Mercury prodded the downed blader with the tip of his Septem. "Doesn't seem much."

"For the time being, perhaps. But he'll prove his usefulness soon enough." Cinder answered as she stepped closer to the unconscious Faunus. "Now, let's make ourselves scarce, shall we? I'd rather not waste any more time than we already have."

"Yes ma'am." The duo replied, though with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Mercury picked up the Faunus by the arm, while Emerald carried his Wilt and Blush. A quick glance was all she needed to pick up on the fine craftsmanship of the blade, and had she remained as the city rat, she'd have wasted no time in nicking the weapon.

"Emerald." Cinder's voice brought her around, stern with an underlying hint of amusement.

"Right, sorry." The thief muttered.

"Bit of a sticky finger there, Em?" Mercury jeered, sniggering when she gracefully replied by flipping him the bird. Both ceased their antics when Cinder shot them a disapproving look. The two quickly picked themselves up and followed after their leader as she led them up towards one of the hills that surrounded the area. At the top was the ruin of what they assumed was originally the White Fang encampment, before they were torn apart by the exterminators and their bodies taken by the Grimm. Fortunately, the scavengers were long gone, saving them the problem of having to clear the area.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing worth salvaging," Emerald pointed out, "Those Atlesians must've picked the place clean. Anything they didn't take were probably destroyed by them or the Grimm."

Cinder said nothing, kneeling next to the Faunus as she took out a vial of Dust from a small pouch clipped to her side. Sprinkling the contents on her palm, a gentle fire came to life and torched the Dust, and she placed her hand on his more serious wounds.

Her two cohorts watched in undisguised curiosity and later awe when the fire did not burn him as they thought it would. When she withdrew her hand, the gaping wound stopped bleeding, though the laceration still remained.

"Huh… didn't know you could do that." Mercury commented.

"And not really, well, you." Emerald added, though quickly backpedalled when she realised how it came out. "I-I mean, it's pretty nifty and all, just, y'know-"

Cinder chuckled. "Yes, I know. Still, you have to admit, they can come in rather handy at times."

The two shared a look. With a shrug they wordlessly agreed. As if on an unspoken agreement the three dispersed to prepare themselves for the night, as the sun began to set. Folding his hands behind his head as a pillow Mercury rested his back on naked earth, uncaring that his vest was dirtied. Emerald hesitated a tad longer, looking somewhat conflicted before she shook her head and settled not too far from her 'partner', lying on her side.

From an outsider's perspective, it would've been reasonable to assume them mad for seeking shelter outdoors, especially at night, when the Grimm were at their strongest. That was why most activities ceased the moment sun began to wane, and only those who were skilled or mad enough to challenge the risks of death ventured outside with only the moon and the stars as their guide.

They certainly weren't fools, but they were skilled. They had to be, if they wanted to survive in this cold, dark world. Both of her young subordinates has seen much and endured more, to the point where the darkness of the soulless creatures no longer intimidated them, not when the darkness of fellow human beings proved to be just as cruel. Even if the Grimm tried to ambush them in their sleep, they were hardly defenseless.

Of course, that was assuming she'd ever let them skulk near her charges while they slept. As flawed as they were, they were hers and hers alone. She would let no one, Grimm or man, take anything more from her, not as long as she breathed.

It was then a choked sound escaped Adam, and his eyes flickered open. All he could see above him was the canvas of the night sky.

"You're awake." A mellow voice whispered from the side, and Adam tilted his head sideway to see a woman with amber eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. His hand absently patted his side, only to come up empty when he realised his treasured blade wasn't on his person.

"Don't." Cinder clasped her hand on his chest, gently yet firmly holding him down. "You're not fully healed yet."

"You're human." Adam breathed, his voice coarse.

"We are. But we're not your enemies."

"You're human," Adam repeated, "That makes you my enemy."

There was rustling as Emerald and Mercury awoke almost instantly, flanking Cinder's side with wary eyes. Cinder held out her arm to stop them. "Are you serious? You do realise we saved you, right?"

"Mercury." Cinder warned, before turning her focus back on the injured Faunus, who struggled to his feet, swatting Cinder's hand away as he did so. "If we were your enemies, we would've simply left you to your fate, Adam. But we didn't."

"How do you know me?" His jade eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who are you?"

"Who we are isn't what's important. What _is_ important is that we're on the same side."

"Did you not hear me?" Adam spat.

"We may be of different race, you and I. But I see beyond appearances. I see before me not a Faunus, but a revolutionist. One who has the will and the strength to dare to change this world." Cinder slowly stepped closer, right until she stood mere inches away from the taller male.

"I see before my eyes a man who had everything he cared about taken away from him by the world, and would stop at nothing to regain what was stolen from him." He looked down as she relinquished his blade, placing it on his hands.

"Who are you?" He asked once more, only more subdued.

"Just a woman who wants what the world owes her." Cinder replied cryptically.

Silence settled as the three watched and waited as he stared blankly into the distance, lost in thought. It wasn't long before he turned to them, no longer radiating hostility but still skeptical. "I don't know what you want, or why you're even here, but I won't bother. You have nothing I need, and I'm not desperate enough to side with a human."

Cinder didn't stop him as he limped past her. She simply watched as he disappeared into the darkness of the night, silence filling in the gap.

"Cinder, are you sure about this?" Emerald asked, "We saved his ass and we're just going to let him off like this?"

"Hell, why not just make him help us? Not like he's in a state to fight back." The assassin suggested.

"Sometimes it's better to make someone do what you want them to by their own free will rather than forcing them." The duo shared a skeptical look at her calm demeanour.

"He just walked out on us, though." Mercury drawled with a tinge of sarcasm. He winced when the thief elbowed him in the ribs.

"Don't worry. He'll be on our side soon enough." Cinder smiled. "In the meantime, there's another task we must attend to."

The two looked puzzled, before it soon changed to looks of anticipation. "You mean-?"

"Yes. It seems like they were able to track Her down." Cinder's scroll flashed to life as the screen displayed a map, with a red blinking dot that was slowly moving south. "And how fortunate, not too far from here."

The thief and the assassin swallowed as the gravity of the situation hit them. They were finally moving on to the actual phase of the plan, one that could either give them a foothold closer to achieving their goals or unravel everything they've done to get this far. Failure was not an option.

"Remember the plan. Exactly as discussed. Not a foot out of place."

* * *

Adam leaned against a tree, his breaths coming out in laboured gasps. His whole body was still aching, and he could barely see in the dark. That was never a problem before, when she was still here with him. But she wasn't. She left him, left, without even telling him why.

With a growl he punched the ground. Now wasn't the time for sentimental trash. He needed to focus if he wanted to get out of this place alive. He had to alert the rest of his organisation about the ambush, for there was no other explanation for why the Atlesians were here, exactly when they were about to hijack the cargo train.

His hand flew to the hilt of his Wilt when he heard the sound of twig snapping. Before he could move however something briefly glinted and suddenly he felt something sharp pricking him in the chest. Looking down, something small was jutting out of his chest.

Almost immediately he felt his vision swim, and all strength left his body. Before his head hit the ground he saw blurred outlines of movement towards him, and for the second time the darkness swallowed him whole.

The first thing he saw, or rather felt, when he regained his consciousness was the feeling of suffocation. He struggled to breath, only to swallow a mouthful of water that left him choking. His body was locked in place by something, and something pressed him down from keeping him re-surfacing.

A hand roughly grabbed him by the hair and dragged his head out of the water. He coughed up water and noisily sucked air in, only to be jerked back when a fist slammed into his face.

"You awake? Good, then we can start." A masculine albeit aged voice came from behind, accompanied by clacking of boots on the stone that echoed within the dimly lit chamber. Shaking the water and the fog in his eyes out of his face, he found himself restrained on a chair, thick ropes digging into his wrists. Several men in combat attire stood watching, and he could barely make out the Atlas symbol printed on their breastplate.

Adam snarled, only to be punched harder. The familiar metallic tang filled his mouth, and he spat out the wad of blood just as a man stepped into his periphery. He looked completely out of place, his smart suits, ties and bowler hat painfully contrasting with the rough and dirty context.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" The man stopped before Adam. "You're with the White Fang, correct?"

"What do you think?" Adam gritted his teeth when the man took one of the iron pokers placed on a table and struck his leg harshly.

"I suggest you co-operate, son. It'll make things easier for both of us."

"What do you want?" Adam breathed out.

"I won't beat around the bush. Where is your base of operation?"

"How would I know?" The blader let out a choked sound when the man picked up a knife and buried it on his arm.

"We know who you are, Adam Taurus. You're on our blacklist, along with the rest of the more prominent individuals of your organisation." The man walked around to the back, his footsteps drowned by a whirring noise that grew ominously louder and louder.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Adam grunted.

The man sighed. "Pity." Dropping down, the sound of whirring drill filled the room, that was quickly followed by the peculiar sound of tearing flesh and Adam's screams.

"Let's try that again, shall we?" The well-dressed torturer said evenly, casually wiping splatters of blood on his face. "Where is your base of operation? Where is your headquarters?"

"…Fuck… y…"

He raised the drill once more, only to stop when his scroll started vibrating. Motioning for one of the man he passed the drill and walked out of the room, ensuring the door was closed and well behind him. "Yes?"

"You have him?" A voice asked from the other end.

"Yes, and we're proceeding as planned."

The voice hummed in approval. "Good. Rough him up, but don't kill him. We need him to be in one piece."

"Of course." With that the man terminated the call. Returning back to the chambers he saw Adam slouched over with another hole on his feet.

"Wait." The bowler hat called out just as another interrogator stepped closer with the drill, "We'll wrap it up here for today. Take him to his cell, we'll continue this tomorrow. Get a medic to patch him up – we can't have him bleed to death before we can get anything out of him."

"Sir." One of the soldiers saluted, as two more undid the binds and dragged Adam by his arms.

* * *

Mercury winced as he clutched his side, shakily rising to his feet. He just knew his face was bruised, and fuck, even just breathing felt like he just swallowed razor blades. The lower parts of his pants was burned off, though it was a small silver lining that his prosthetics was still intact and in one piece. Had it been his real legs though…

Shaking off the morbid thoughts, he surveyed his surroundings, taking note of the small craters, the blackened earth, and general destruction that ensued from the short but one of, if not _the_ most intense fight he has ever gotten into in his life. Legends has spoken of the Maidens and their unimaginable powers, but to see it with his own eyes, it was unbelievable.

A weak cough roused him to his partner, who looked even worse for wear. Her bare torso was covered with cuts and lacerations, deep and shallow, criss-crossing her bronze skin like a badly co-ordinated piece of art, and her green undershirt was in tatters, only being held in place by mere threads. Had it been under different circumstances he'd have wasted no time in pinning her under him, but now he was just glad that she was alive and whole, albeit injured.

"Em?"

She gave him a faint nod, sweat streaming down her face. She didn't protest when he slung her arm around his shoulder, rather leaning closer to him for support. "We've done it."

"Yeah…" He trailed off as his eyes landed on the Fall Maiden, who sank to her knees drenched in blood, several arrows sticking out of her back. Cinder stood not far, faring better than her cohorts though not without occasional tears in her dress and patches covered in soot.

"C'mon, our job's not done yet." They staggered towards the fallen Maiden, who looked up just in time to see them each grabbing her arm, before Emerald kicked her back, forcing her to arch forward. Cinder wasted no time in putting on the 'special' glove, specifically designed to drain the Maiden of their hallowed powers.

The Fall Maiden screamed when black tendrils shot forward and wrapped itself around her face, pulsating amber glow travelling upwards into Cinder's open palm. Cinder's eyes screwed shut when sudden surge of foreign power flowed into her very being, threatening to overflow and overwhelm her from the inside. The nape of her neck suddenly burned, as if cut by a burning knife.

"Cinder!" Emerald cried in alarm. Just as Mercury tried to stop her, a glint of silver swiftly hacked into the scene, severing the tendril and abruptly silencing the two women's screams.

"Wh-" Mercury couldn't even finish before he and Emerald leapt back just before the greatsword could cut them in half, releasing their holds on the Fall Maiden in process. The wielder quickly grabbed the Maiden, a frown marring his face when he took in the web-like mark on her face.

Cinder, seemingly recovering from the after-effects, raised her arm just as fire sparked to life from her eyes. The ground beneath the Hunter glowed red, and he scooped the unconscious Maiden into his arms and leapt back just in time for the ground to explode, spewing a thick geyser of fire. More followed soon after, and it was all Qrow could do to leap out of the way, vaguely noting how they were pushing him further and further away from the assailants. By the time the fires died down, the trio were gone.

"Fuck." Gently placing the Maiden on the ground he reached for his scroll. Mere moments passed before Ozpin's face appeared on the screen.

"Qrow, have you found her?"

"Yeah. But we were too late. She got to her before I could."

"No…"

Qrow sighed. "She's alive, but barely. I'll bring her back, and explain everything once she's safe. Get us a dropship, fast."

* * *

"Get another bucket." He heard the man's order, the muted sound soon clearing up when he felt a splash of water on his face.

"Good of you to join us, Mr. Taurus. For a second there I thought you'd sleep through it all."

Adam didn't speak, glowering venomously at the well-dressed man he had been 'acquainted' with for the past several days.

The bowler-hat sighed dramatically. "Mr. Taurus, you do realise that this is all pointless, don't you? Simply tell us what we want to know, and we wouldn't have a reason to keep you in here like this."

"Go to hell." Adam spat.

"It's been days, Mr. Taurus. As entertaining as it is to keep you company, I am a busy man and have greater matters to attend to than wasting time here."

When the blader said nothing, the bowler-hat growled in annoyance. Stomping towards the burner he took one of the branding iron with the tip glowing angry-red. Motioning at the soldiers Adam struggled as they pinned him in place, and he could do nothing but watch helplessly as the burning iron slowly inched closer and closer towards his exposed chest.

The sizzling sound and the smell of burning flesh unnerved even the guards, one of them already vacating the contents of his stomach in the corner. Light sparked in his vision as he was overwhelmed with burning pain, and Adam let out a strangled cry.

"We're just getting started, Mr. Taurus." The interrogator drew back the iron after what seemed like hours. The guards loosened their hold, only to grab his head and lock it in place, forcing him to see the new 'toy' the bowler-hat chose this time. A rope snaked across his throat and forced his neck on the chair, not too tight so as to avoid choking him, but snug enough to make breathing uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, we won't be cutting off anything too important… yet." The interrogator spoke evenly as the handheld saw in his grasp whirring to life. The eerie noise of jagged steel slicing through air drew closer in deliberately slow pace, and he couldn't move, not unless he wanted to accidentally get his face shaved off.

The sawblade whined just as Adam's screams began anew, blood trailing down his brow as something thin and black fell from his head. He didn't have to feel the stump on his head to know one of his horns was sawed off.

"There. Now you're just one horn away from looking like a proper human being. It's rather fortunate they were horns and not, say, ears. The results would've been far messier."

Adam bit his lips hard enough to draw blood. Staring blankly at the old interrogator, he asked, "What's your name, human?"

The bowler-hat blinked, not having expected such a question. "I'd rather not say, Mr. Taurus. Even if I did tell you, it won't be of any use, not for long, anyway." The old man raised a brow in befuddlement when the captured Faunus chuckled, soon escalating into a full manic laughter. The guards squirmed uneasily, sharing confused looks amongst themselves at the prisoner's unusual behaviour.

"That's fine with me," Adam looked up with a feral grin, his jade eyes radiating savage madness. "When I'm free, I promise to hunt you down and kill you first."

The bowler-hat just stared. As he opened his mouth in retort, the chamber shook as the earth beneath them rumbled. Whipping out his transceiver he spoke, "What on earth is going on?"

The staccato of gunfire and screams was the only answer he received before it was smothered by static. The door of the chamber slammed open, and a guard fell through the doorway. "Sir, we're- we're under attack!" He shuddered before he collapsed on the floor, unmoving.

"What?! By Grimm? How many?! Answer me!" He yelled as he shook the soldier, though the soldier was already dead. Spitting a curse he barked an order, and they sprinted out the door, their rifles in hands. He too followed them, though not before throwing the lone prisoner a dark look as he left.

Muffled screams and footsteps sneaked past the gaps in the doorway, and Adam struggled to pull himself free. If the Grimm were indeed swarming the place, there were better ways to die than being restrained to a chair.

 _Clack clack clack_

His body stilled when the echoing footsteps filled the chambers, growing louder and louder until it stopped right behind him. He dared not to turn his head for a glimpse, instead closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable.

The ropes that held his hands together was undone, soon followed by the noose around his neck. He bent down, rubbing his throat. Something warm and delicate touched his cheek, and he looked up to see a pair of blazing eyes, framed by tresses of dark hair.

He didn't curse. He didn't glare. He simply stared and stared, until he choked out one word.

"Why?"

The mysterious woman smiled. "Because you're an exceptionally valuable man, Adam Taurus. Because you and I are the same."

Adam laughed bitterly. "You could have gone to anyone for help. A gang leader, rogue Huntsmen, anyone. And yet you'd go through all this, for what? Why are you after the White Fang?"

Cinder stood up. "Because you are the only one who's capable of bringing your organisation back from the ashes."

"What are you-"

"It wasn't just your men that perished in Forever Fall that night, Adam. Your main headquarters in the small village just outside Vale was also ambushed by Atlesians."

He gaped, before furrowing his brows in anger. "You're lying."

"Your White Fang is broken, Adam. Your leader was taken, and your men slaughtered or imprisoned. If anyone here has a chance of rebuilding the organisation, it's you, Adam. That's why we saved you."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't. But you can either come with us, or stay here, and wait for the Grimm to storm the place." Cinder offered.

Adam huffed, knowing that he was cornered. It was with some reluctance that he nodded to the woman. "Fine. Lead the way."

* * *

 **A/N: A relatively short chapter compared to the past few, but this felt like as good a place as any to stop.**

 **Save for the main characters, most RWBY characters' weapons aren't named, which is a shame. On that note, I decided to just roll with my own for this story, Mercury's Septem being one example. Basically means 'seven' in latin.**


	12. Act 2: Chapter 3

**ACT 2: Cui Bono?**

* * *

 _"Two people don't see same event as opportunity. When one see it as a problem, other look to capitalise it for optimum benefit."_

\- Ashish Patel -

* * *

 **A/N: This is definitely the last part of the background arc. At first, I was thinking of just throwing them all into one chapter, but really, how many of you readers actually want to read a chapter that's like, say, 900 billion words long?**

* * *

It was a dark night, one where the stars and even the moon hid their countenances, almost as if the earthly deeds which they observed was far too much for them to witness.

Fire. It was everywhere. The very earth on which he was spilling his blood, his colleagues, the makeshift tents, everywhere. And to think it only took minutes for things to degrade from shivering miserably in this Grimm-infested forest to this clusterfuck of a mess.

He tried to move, a futility on his part as the rebar sticking out of his stomach was almost nailed to the ground. All he accomplished was spitting a mouthful of blood, and drawing the attention of one of the abominations that stormed the camp.

A pair of red eyes came into view, framed by a feminine face, lips thin and unreadable. Something cold and metallic prodded him on the brow, and the last thing he could sense was the faint smell of gunpowder.

"You done?" Mercury called out as he grinded his heels on one of the fallen soldier's throat, not at all bothered by the snapping bones and tearing flesh right beneath his feet.

Emerald withdrew her revolvers as the man slumped over, dead. "I am, now." She watched with a light frown as her partner nonchalantly kicked one of the bodies to its back and sat on it as one would on a chair.

"Hm? What? Oh, right," The assassin budged over so that he sat on the head, lightly slapping the rear of the body as a gesture for her to take her seat. "There, now there's room for two."

Emerald smacked her hand against her face. "Idiot. And really, can you let go now? It's a girl's ass you're touching, even if it's dead."

"Huh." He took one look at his hand, then down, then back at Emerald. "Don't worry, I still prefer your ass over any chick's, dead or alive." A wolfish grin crept up his face as her face darkened, though not out of ire.

"Creep…"

"You certainly didn't mind before back when we-"

"Ugh! Just shut up, Merc!" She huffed, though she still took her seat next to him on the body. The thief could practically feel his smug look just dripping smugness, but chose not to dignify his usual perverted antics with a reply.

Yet another point for the assassin. But this time Mercury didn't follow it up with a witty comment or two, instead just watching the world around them slowly burn down. The hissing of flame as it licked wood and flesh passed by, its flickering light casting shadows that eerily danced about, reflected by still pools of blood beneath their feet. The only thing that was left standing was the dilapidated slab of concrete, its rusty door open, letting bare its dark maw that led downwards into the earth below.

"Boss-lady's taking a while." Mercury casually tossed in, wiping stray drops of blood from his face with his sleeves.

"Just wait. She'll be out soon enough." Emerald muttered absently.

Mercury sighed. "What's up?" Beating around the bush wasn't his style, and he knew his partner was more or less the same.

A period of silence preceded her barely audible sigh. "You know, I've been thinking…"

"Scares me more than the Grimm." The assassin snorted and winced when his partner jabbed him in the ribs. "Geez, take a joke, woman."

She frowned, but it soon loosened to that of an uneasy look. Sensing the change he adopted a serious visage. "Okay, fine. What is it?"

"It's just… Cinder's gotten really powerful now, hasn't she? What with the Fall Maiden's power – or part of it, at least – in her possession and all." Truthfully she was doubtful when Cinder led them straight to the Atlesian encampment in Forever Fall, and she was convinced her scepticism was justified, considering how they were a three-man unit going up against what was easily more than ten times their number, and not even sneaking their way in, but practically knocking on the front door.

Doubt soon turned to awe when she saw the extent of power Cinder now wielded. Fire erupted from the ground just as angry red bolts of lightning rained from the sky, blades of wind swirling from her arm and launched at the men and women clad in military combat gears and firearms. A military force of nearly several dozens strong, all reduced to mere ash and blood within a matter of minutes. Some didn't even have the time to scream, or even beg. An old man barely managed to utter the word 'traitor' before he was cut short, as was his head.

Then she left them behind to finish the job, while she went to the Faunus' rescue. That in itself wasn't the problem, but…

"But what?" Mercury prodded, his voice far gentler than she was accustomed to hearing.

"…Don't get me wrong, I'm glad things are progressing just as according to plan. But… with Cinder this strong, and now that she'll soon have someone else to fight by her side-"

"…You're worried that she'll just toss us aside?" Mercury finished.

Emerald gaped. "How-?"

"You're not that hard to read, Em." It wasn't hard to miss his partner's obvious signs of respect and adoration she held for their leader. He didn't know what the story was between the two, but he knew that Cinder was part of the very few things Emerald considered significant in her life, as a child would view her mother. Even if that very child has been abandoned by her biological mother once before.

"C'mon, you're smarter than that. If she was going to kick us out, why would she still put up with our stubborn asses? God knows how many times we fucked up back when we were still green, but she's still with us, right?"

"I know. It's just that, a part of me can't help but think if we'll become any less important now that she's powerful enough to do anything on her own." Emerald murmured, her face buried in her knees.

"Fuck, quit worrying." Grabbing her by the shoulder he forced her to look at him.

"Look," He fidgeted uneasily, "I can't promise whether Cinder'll keep us by her side or shove us aside, but me? I'm not."

The assassin grunted when she suddenly punched him in the gut. He was about to swear when she grabbed him by the collars and smashed her lips against his. Mercury's arms snaked around her bare back, tightly holding her in his arms.

After a while they both drew back, their breaths heavy and laboured. "That was fucking cheesy."

"Not as cheesy as those chick flicks you watch." Mercury bit back.

"Perv."

"Bitch."

Despite the banter the two shared a smile.

* * *

It was snowing, again. Hardly surprising, considering the kingdom sat on the roof of the world. The blistering coldness was a perennial trait of Atlas, and its subjects were all too used to the sight of their world covered in white.

The iron-wrought gate swung open with a silent creak, the snow coating her gloved hands. Absently brushing it off, the woman pushed past, the rhythmic crunching of snow beneath her feet the only sound that existed in the garden. Tucked under her arms was a small bouquet of flowers, the petals as white as the world around her. She set it down at the feet of what was once a statue of a woman, hands placed on her chest and eyes closed in eternal peace, buried under layers of snow.

Winter was never one for superstitious mindset, though she couldn't help but wonder whether her late mother would've preferred such cold ground as her final resting place. Granted, all Schnees were entitled to a place in their family burial ground, though the frigid climate of the northern continent wasn't exactly a paradise, neither for the living nor the dead. Still, that was just how it was. Atlas wasn't considered the powerhouse of Remnant for nothing. The military power couldn't be strong if its people wasn't, after all.

"…Mother." Winter spoke, the words flowing out awkwardly as she cleared her throat. "It's been… a while."

Taking a deep breath, Winter straightened her back and angled her face upward, toward the grey sky.

"Do you remember? That night, I promised that the next time I see you would be when sent all those bastards to their graves. It's taken years, but I finally did it."

The young Venatrix paused, her throat clenching with sudden surge of emotions. "Truth is, I haven't. Those bastards are slippery, you know how it is with those animals. But rest assured, it won't remain that way for long. It won't be long before we dig them out of their holes, and when we do…"

Winter shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I've a life of my own to live, and so does Weiss. We're not foolish enough to stake everything on revenge. If we did, we'd lose everything in the end, and that's just admitting that we lost." And Schnees never lost.

At least, that's what she wanted to believe. She was never one for delusions, however. Kris Schnee was not the only casualty of the long blood-feud between Schnees and the extremist Faunus faction. Those who survived was never quite the same. Her father changed, and so had her younger sister.

"I doubt we'll ever go back to how we were before, without you here with us, that's impossible. But all the same we picked up the pieces and moved forward. So watch over us, mother."

Rubbing the stinging sensation out of her eyes, Winter turned and left, empty silence settling on the garden that slept under the snow.

* * *

The corner of his eye twitched, the pricey Louixs slipping through his fingers, the visage of disbelief frozen on his face. "Sorry hun, wanna run that by me again?"

From the side, out of the periphery of the scroll Emerald rolled her eyes. Mercury dropped all pretence of listening, instead directing his sole focus on the scroll held between his fingers, furiously tapping the screen.

Cinder blinked, unfazed. "I killed them. All of them."

"No shit! What I want to know is, why? You realise how much of a pain it was to smuggle all those Atlas gears and slap them on hired muscles to parade around as Atlesian soldiers? I told you to rough them up, not burn them to crisp!"

"My apologies," Cinder smiled, sounding far from apologetic. "To be fair, your men were very good actors, I was almost convinced they were truly from Atlas military. Still, at the least things went exactly as planned."

"For you, that is. Do you even realise just how much I had to fork over to stage all that crap? I'm a professional, sweetheart, but lien don't exactly grow on trees."

"Oh, Roman. Like I promised you, once we achieve our goals, financial problems will be the least of your worries."

"Your reassurances won't mean a thing if you don't act." Roman scoffed from the other side of the screen.

"And we will. Or, to be more specific, _he_ will, for the time being." Cinder crossed her legs, leaning closer to the scroll. "So you suffered minor losses in manpower, it's hardly a setback, especially since we'll soon have the White Fang under our thumb."

"He'd better be worth it. And speaking of the animal, what's he planning on doing, raise the dead from their graves or out of the insides of some Grimm to do his damned biddings?"

"White Fang is in pieces now, true. But it won't be difficult, not when they still have reasons to remain." So long as prejudice and discrimination existed between the two races, finding and recruiting like-minded individuals and bringing them into their fold wasn't going to be difficult.

"It better. I didn't invest in our efforts just to see our revolution go tits up even before it began." The criminal mastermind gruffed, picking up the cigar from the ground and rolling it between his fingers. "Now, I've gotta go. Airships to blow up, innocent people to kill and terrorise, you know, the usual."

Cinder nodded, and the screen went black as the transmission was terminated.

"Geez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Emerald mumbled, the initial shock quickly wearing off. Whether or not the men they killed were Atlesians or no didn't matter in the long run.

The Maiden chuckled, "He has his uses."

"So, when's our little horny friend coming back?" Mercury looked up from his scroll, raising a brow amusedly as the thief frowned. "I dunno about you, but loitering around this old and rotten warehouse isn't exactly my idea of killing time."

As if proving his point, one of the wooden support beams creaked, sending shower of dust below. The lit torch placed on a rusty drum barrel was the only source of light, barely lighting the interior of the aged and abandoned warehouse. Water leaked through the holes from the ceiling above, with murky layers of slime coating the walls stripped of paint jobs. What once used to be a gate was torn off the hinges, leaving behind a gaping maw that led to a view of a small town downhill, one of the small rural towns under the rule of Valean kingdom. Close enough to be considered Valean territory, but far enough to barely escape the national jurisdiction. A select few government officials were aware of the town, or even enough to care, and very few Huntsmen found reasons to venture into the sleepy settlement, unless it was for a last stop rest before heading into the wilderness outside the boundary.

It was a perfect place for those who wished to hide, away from the probing eyes of the law, and that extended to former White Fang members. Whether they'd take up arms again or not for the cause depended on one Adam Taurus and his diplomatic skills… or, if need be, his skills with his blade. Cinder and her cohorts tagging along wasn't an option, not if they wanted to further reduce the chance of bringing former extremists to their side. White Fang or no, humans were humans.

The sound of crushing grass beneath boots saw the trio to their feet, alert when they saw shadowy outlines of a small group heading up the hill. Cinder and her subordinates relaxed, if only by a margin, when they saw the Faunus blader shepherding a small entourage, presumably ex-White Fang extremists. There was no mistaking the extra animalistic features that they sported on their persons, be it horns, tails, or odd patches of fur.

"I see you brought some friends." Cinder pointed out.

The tiniest hint of smirk flashed past Adam's unmasked face. "They've all agreed to follow my lead. They're not too pleased to have humans watching their backs though." The swordsman took deliberately slow steps, closing the gap between himself and the amber-eyed Maiden who wore a blank visage, unlike her cohorts, whose faces cycled with wariness and controlled hostility.

"And I said I wasn't, either. 'How can we trust these humans to not put a knife on our backs', they said."

Closer and closer, until they were barely inches from one another. Heavy silence descended upon the two groups, the tension thickening.

"I told them this; we can't."

Cinder, to her credit, was the epitome of calmness when she decided to give voice to her thoughts. "Perhaps. But answer me this; what will you do to get your revenge?"

There wasn't a moment of hesitation. "Everything."

"Then that's your answer. You know we'll work together, because we're both willing to do whatever it takes to get what we want." Cinder concluded, pleased.

The Faunus blader smirked. "Good."

With a nod she took out her scroll. "I've been keeping in touch with an… associate. Here, in Vale. I've filled him in, and he's interested in talking with you-"

"Tell him to contact me later. Right now, we've got more pressing matters at hand. Setting up a base is our first priority, and once that's done, we set off and gather more of my men." Adam cut in. With a jerk of his head the small group of Faunus insurgents headed back to the town.

"Uh… what the hell?" Emerald asked, puzzled.

"I'm taking over this town. Anyone who resists, cut them down. Anyone who tries to contact the law, tear them apart. Nobody gets in or out of this place unless I say so."

"That sounds a bit too easy," Mercury piped in. "This town ain't exactly that small, y'know."

"Unless, you've already got it sorted out?" Cinder asked.

Adam sneered. "Clearly, you haven't a clue what this town's like. The White Fang established quite a bit of an influence over this town for some time. It's only a step away from actually taking it under our control."

Adam motioned the trio to follow him, and follow him they did. The town gate security saluted as he walked past, the few denizens out and about at this late night scurrying out of the way, shying into the shadows.

"Look at the bastard, all smug and shit. He's walking around like he owns the goddamn place." Mercury hissed through his teeth.

"No shit, since he pretty much does. Really pisses me off how he's just dismissing us like we're beneath him, though." Emerald growled quietly.

"Settle down, you two. It'd do us no good if we caused a scene."

"Not trying to sound rude or whatever, but are you really going to let him treat you like this?" Emerald whispered furiously. "I mean, it's not like he can beat you or anything. Why are you putting up with his crap?"

"Patience is a virtue, Emerald. Our moments will come. Until then, we play the waiting game." Emerald shot her a bewildered look at Cinder's back, unable to fathom how she could sound so calm.

"Should've just put a bullet in his head back then." The thief mumbled.

Mercury shrugged. He wasn't too worried; they've faced worse before than ill-mannered Faunus rebels, even if they were on their turf.

* * *

There was a chink of glass as it lightly knocked against the whiskey glass, before out popped the lid, the brown stream of Jack Daniels steadily filling the glass to the brim, cubes of ice floating gently. Qrow took a slow, casual sip, before chugging the whole poison down, feeling the familiar burning sensation running down his throat, and welcomed it as one would a friend.

That, and he was definitely going to need a glass. With a sigh he flipped on his scroll, Ozpin's stern countenance staring back at him mere instances later.

"Qrow, what exactly happened?"

The male Branwen took a swig, before setting down the glass. "I got in touch with our 'ol pal, Shishi. He said that our mutual friend was supposed to be with an entourage, in case things got dicey. He even hooked her up with some of his top students, just in case."

Another swig. He let out a deep breath before he continued, "Turned out she decided to go solo at the last minute. She said she wanted to pay a visit to a relative in some remote town. Said it'd draw far too much unwanted attraction if she was seen walking around with a bunch of people sticking out like sore thumbs.

"They weren't too happy with the idea, but heck, she put her feet down on the matter, so what were we supposed to do, make her do what we want? And besides, with her… _gifts_ , we were certain she could more than take care of herself."

From the other end Ozpin nodded. He knew for a fact that she safely landed on Vale via Haven Academy's private jet, courtesy of the headmaster, Shishi.

"Then, we lost her. I had some boys secretly follow her just to make sure nothing happened. Well, something did, but they didn't know what. That's when I ran into her, and the Queen."

"You mentioned that her powers were taken from her – how?" Glynda asked from off-screen, her green eyes creased in concern.

"I dunno, it wasn't anything I recognised. Some… black magic? Voodoo shit? God, I don't fucking know. What I do know is that she took her powers, Ozpin. I don't know how the bitch pulled it off, but she did."

"…I see." Ozpin sighed as his fears were confirmed. The readings taken from Amber, weak and unconscious, showed less than positive results. Weak vital signs, low Aura pulse, she was hanging to her life by mere threads. Whatever this 'Queen' did to her, the Maiden's future looked bleak.

"What I want to know is, how did they know? Did they just happen to meet up on the same place? I don't fucking buy it."

"Shishi is a man of honour, I trust him."

"I know. But it had to someone close, someone who had the access to inside info. The question is, who? As far as I know, there were only a handful of people who knew about our mutual friend, let alone where she was going."

"And this 'family' she was visiting?"

"Just a grave. From what I dug up – no pun intended – it was her grandmother. Nothing helpful there."

The Beacon headmaster let out a dejected sigh. It seemed that they were only hitting dead ends, the investigations only leading to more loose ends than knots. And now, with the dangerous criminal at large – with the Maiden's powers no less – there was no telling what her next moves would be.

"Your hard work is appreciated, Qrow. Get some rest."

"Sure," Qrow half-heartedly replied. He tossed his scroll on the couch, polished off what was left in the bottle, and headed for his bed with a light stagger in his steps. He unfastened his tattered cloak, though didn't bother to change, instead throwing himself on his bed.

Eyeing the ceiling, he tried to sleep, though it eluded his grasp. Too many thoughts raged in his head for a peaceful slumber. Just when things seemed to go smoothly after the culling of the Faunus insurgents, this just had to come up.

"No rest for the wicked, huh?" He mumbled to no one.

* * *

 **A/N: Another short chapter. One of the reviewers, RPGPersona, asked if it was Atlas or SDC that caught Adam in the last chapter. Hope this chapter'll answer it.**


	13. Act 2: Chapter 4

**ACT 2: Downtime**

* * *

 _"One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching."_

\- Gerard Way -

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter contains no characters bleeding, dying in a gruesome manner, being eaten alive, backstabbed, set on fire, or other creative means of which a person can be killed. In other words, this will be squeaky clean chapter where everyone is happy and no one dies.**

* * *

" _Quickly! To the gate!"_

 _Just as the general gave his command, the great citadel gate shuddered, accompanied by an ear-splitting snap as great jagged cracks ran down the thick wooden bars. The brave defenders faltered, arms of steel and wood clutched in their hands, just as the gate crashed open, and in rushed the opposing army, mockery of men moulded and shaped with metal and machinery._

" _The gate is breached!"_

" _Archers!" The commander roared, and the soldiers stood in lines, arrows knocked and bows drawn, their aims trained on their mechanical adversaries. "FIRE!"_

 _Amidst the chaos of war, flocks of arrows rained from the heavens, whistling the tune of death as they dived from above. The infantry lines locked their shields, spears and swords at the ready as both armies clashed, wetting the earth with blood and oil._

 _The Mistralians were fierce and resilient, yet their perseverance could not prevail against the endless tide of mechanical death-bringers, and one by one, the proud defenders of the winged shield fell until only the commander himself was left, who was on one knee, his one hand hovering over the stump of flesh that was once part of his arm. His long black hair was matted with blood and oil, as was his entire form, marred by burns and lacerations._

 _The humanoid machines surrounded him, crossbows loaded and aimed at the fallen Mistralian commander. Then, at an unspoken command, they parted, forming a passage for the only true man among the imitations. Clad entirely in armour, the man stood tall, his thick, wall-like shield strapped to back, his greatsword brimming with holy light._

 _The Mistralian commander glared, his deep magenta eyes filled with hatred as the armoured man removed his helmet._

" _Arc."_

" _Ren." The armoured man tilted his head slightly forward in a bow with a mocking smile._

 _Neither men said a word, having already chosen and walked their own that they both knew would eventually lead to the inevitable confrontation. They swore never to look back, and never to hold back. It was their last promise made as brothers in arms._

 _Ren closed his eyes, and uttered only two words._

" _Do it."_

 _Smile fading, Jaune Arc gave him a solemn nod. The great blade of light shined brighter as it was raised, and with a strangled yell he brought the colossal blade down…_

Jaune fist-pumped with a triumphant whoop, just as Ren flicked his last piece on the board with a quiet sigh. The winged shield flag of Mistral was soon replaced by Atlas' signature spear-and-round table symbol.

"And with that, the last independent fortress of Mistral fell, and its proud centuries' worth of history turned to ash under Atlas' iron fist- ow!" Jaune yelped mid-sentence, rubbing the bridge of his nose. For someone with a lousy aim, Yang threw that piece of popcorn with a frightening accuracy.

"Yuck. You sound like those old dudes that used to loiter around Oldies' Goldies." Yang made a gagging sound, just as Ruby involuntarily shuddered. Upon being met with the two males' confused looks, the brawler waved her hand. "Long story, don't ask."

With a shrug Jaune wisely re-directed his attention to the cards in his hands, a contemplative mien brushing past his face before he set down a card.

"'Diplomatic mediator'? Not bad." Yang commented, setting down a card of her own. She set down few pieces of camels on the coloured boundaries of Vacuo. Ruby followed it up by placing few cards on her field, and a lacquered wooden piece of an open book gently flew from Vale to Vacuo, guided by young Ruby's fingers and the airplane noise.

"There. My suave orator will smooth-talk your Vacuo army people into alliance and convince them it's the best course of action against evil Jaune and his tin nutcrackers." Ruby puffed her chest forward with a smug look.

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'Captain Atlas', actually."

Yang snorted. "You wish."

"What? I can totally pull off the Captain Atlas gig! I mean, I'm the only guy with the shield in this group, ergo making me the best candidate by default!"

"Yeah, but he kicks ass. You get yours handed to you on a silver shield platter, ergo making you the worst candidate for the Captain Atlas gig." Yang countered with no small amount of amusement.

"Is this about that time in Combat class? It totally is, isn't it?"

"Maybe?" Yang sang.

"Goddamnit Bar- Yang, that was one time! If that floor wasn't so slippery, I wouldn't have tripped over at the last minute." Jaune grumbled, still sore over the near-close victory that slipped through his fingers, for the first time since the beginning of his days as a Beacon student.

"Yeah, those deceptively flat, completely normal floor tiles. Totally deadly." Yang replied with an eye-roll.

"Har har." He made no attempt to disguise the biting sarcasm.

"Don't worry, Jaune. It takes some serious skills to trip over deceptively flat, completely normal floor tiles." Ruby patted him on the back with a giggle. She absently reached for another cookie from the plate set to her right, make a happy noise as her taste buds went into overdrive from another mouthful of heavenly marriage of flour and chocolate.

"Et tu, Ruby?" Jaune cried dramatically.

"On the subject of being skilled, your narration definitely could use some improvements," Yang pointed out. "I mean, you brought android troops to the table and armed them with craps like crossbows?"

"'Cause this is set in the Dark Ages? Guns didn't exist back then."

"And androids were?"

"Hey, I'm the Game Master here. What I say goes." Jaune waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"And it was actually pretty good. Definitely better than what Yang can come up with, anyway." Ruby muttered.

"Since when did a game of 'Remnant: The Game' turn into a round of D&D? And what do you mean, better than mine?" Yang asked in mock anger.

"Because you made everyone and everything explode! I fail a quest, you made random NPCs blow up! Or how about that time I rolled a '1' and you set part of the board on fire, making it 'permanently inaccessible'? I remember you saying you wanted to watch the world set on fire, and-"

Yang, at the least, had the decency to look sheepish at the recollection. "Okay, so _maybe_ I went a little overboard."

" _Maybe_?"

"Rubes, it's been years, get over it already. Now are you going to team up with me and take the dorkass Game Master out of the game or what?"

"Fine. 'Rally the Cavalry' and I'll end my turn." Ruby pouted as she placed several miniature horse pieces on the continent of Vale. Yang followed it up with a 'Smugglers of Wind Path', and gleefully took two of the cards held in Jaune's possession, before setting one of the looted cards and considerably fattening up Vacuo's coffers.

"So you robbed me blind, big deal. I'll be coming back for them later soon enough." Jaune sneered as he reached for Ren's deck, setting one of the cards face down and one up, and placed a handful of frigate pieces on the southernmost shore of the frozen land of Atlas. Wooden figures of royal halberdiers of Atlas lay scattered around the now-conquered lands of Mistral, and behind them colossal monstrosities of siege engines stood. Rows of frigates bearing Atlas' mark remained on the frozen shores of northlands of Remnant, awaiting the orders from the self-proclaimed 'Captain Atlas'.

Yang drew a card from the main deck positioned on the centre of map, and let out a triumphant yell. "'Keel-hauling Kraken'! Fuck yeah!" All but slamming the card on the map, she blindly reached for her popcorn and shoved the handful in her mouth, not caring about the strangely sweet sensation from the bite.

Ren, after quietly sighing at his partner's loud antics, peered at the card in curiosity. "'The player with the largest maritime forces will suffer a loss of half of his/her naval forces'? Seriously?" What kind of game was he playing for the past hour?

"Aw, shit." Reluctantly Jaune picked up the frigate pieces, glumly staring at the now sparsely populated Atleasian shores.

"Aw, shit yeah! How do you like it now, 'Captain'? Not much of one now that your little ships got munched up, are 'ya? Rubes, go for the jugular!"

When she failed to elicit a response from her sister, Yang turned in puzzlement, her victorious grin slipping at the sheer look of appalment Ruby wore. "Uh, Rubes?"

"…My cookie…" Ruby muttered in disbelief, staring at the now empty plate.

"Your- Oh… My bad…?" Yang scratched her head. "Anyway, never mind that now! Hurry up and make your move already!"

"…My bad?"

"Oh for- Rubes, it's just one cookie. Get over it." Yang groaned, already knowing how this was going to end.

Mount Ruby decided to explode at that moment. "One cookie? _One cookie?!_ It was the last cookie Yang, THE LAST COOKIE!" The last part came out at a surprisingly loud volume for a relatively demure girl, enough to turn heads from all across the library.

"And here I thought Yang was the yangry one." Jaune whispered to the only other male Regality, who returned the wordplay with an unimpressed flat stare as the sisters bickered.

"That's IT! Our alliance is OVER! Your tras- trasgres-"

"Transgression?" Jaune offered nervously from the side.

"Yeah, that! Your trans-whatever will not go unanswered! Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!" Ruby declared.

Yang smirked. She just loved it when her 'lil sis got riled up over the most trivial of things. Still, a challenge was a challenge, and Yang wasn't one to back down from one. "Bring it on!"

"If you plebeians are done causing a scene," an all-too familiar haughty voice huffed from the table behind them, and the two male Regalities turned to see an irate heiress furiously tapping her note book with her pen, "would you kindly remove your rowdy posteriors out of this library? This place is meant for hard-working, aspiring students like yours truly and my team, and we are quite busy studying for the upcoming exam, a fact you order-less louts seems to conveniently forget."

Two of the Winterbournes froze, Pyrrha sheepishly putting down the latest issue of X-ray and Vav, and Blake subtly slipping a thin black paperback under her pile of notes, trying her hardest to keep her face from flushing. Nora chose that exact moment to wake up from her nap, waving sleepily at her childhood friend. "Hiya Ren!"

"Hello, Nora."

"Sooo, whatcha playing?" Nora hopped beside Ren. The sound of chair moving introduced Pyrrha and Blake as they gathered around the table, leaving their leader on her lonesome.

"Who am I kidding…" With a shake of her head she too stood up, and joined the rest of her team in watching the heated gameplay between the two sisters.

"Rampaging Goliaths! I hope they trample your soldiers to pancakes!" Ruby threw the dice with a little more force than necessary. The look of fury instantly flushed away, replaced by one of despair as the traitorous dice showed '1'.

Yang yelled in glee, earning another chorus of frowns, though no one gave voice to their silent complaints. With the library staff temporarily unavailable, no student was crazy enough to potentially piss off the loose cannon that was Yang Xiao Long. Add the renowned Mistralian champion and heiress to one of Remnant's leading organisation that monopolised the flow and supply of Dust into the mix, and their game of conquering Remnant went uninterrupted.

"Nooo…" Ruby slumped, her earlier rage dissipated into nothingness, opting to pout at her smug sister as fiercely as she could manage. Unfortunately it backfired, and Yang lightly squeezed her nose with a smile. Ruby squawked, but made no further comment as she buried her face in her arms, trying very hard not to feel embarrassed, especially as Jaune chuckled next to her.

"So, the cookie monster has been felled, and Vale is now mine. Just you and me left, Captain Atlas-"

"Atlesian Air Fleet. Infantry lines are already in place, and with this," Jaune placed another card on the board, and it was now Yang's turn to wear the despair mask, "Will allow me to bulldoze over your tired and worn out troops in Vale, thus making it mine."

"You- when did you-?!"

"Thank you _so_ much for your hard work." Jaune smirked, feeling like he was on top of the world. The looks of amazement he garnered from the audience only fed that growing ego. "I'd say I'm sorry for pulling a dirty trick, but I'm not, so I won't."

The shift in the wind was painfully noticeable. Yang, having expended most of her military resources on her immediate threat, neglected to prepare for future warfare with perhaps the biggest threat on the board at the moment. Said biggest threat still wore that shit-eating grin, leisurely taking his time if only to draw out the inevitable loss.

"Tick tock, Yang."

"Shut it." Yang hissed, frantically scanning her cards over and over, just in case a miracle hand was hidden among the bunch in her hands. The card she drew from the centre deck was of little help, and Yang knew she was pretty much screwed.

Only, the miracle hand did turn up, though Yang didn't expect it to slap her in the head.

"Oh for heaven's sake, use the 'Desert Scavenge' and take back 'Trojan Horse' from Ren's discarded pile. Atlesian units are predominantly mechanical, so it'll be useful."

Seven pairs of eyes swivelled up to the heiress, and Weiss fidgeted under the scrutiny. "What?"

It took a moment for the company to find their voices. "Uh, well, it's just that um…"

"Yeah, we didn't quite, um, you know…"

Weiss scowled. "Maybe it has escaped your notice, but I have been a child once too, you know. That, and you commoners severely underestimate the educational values of this ga- ahem, learning module . It's an engaging means of simulating real-time warfare and resource management, along with economy maintenance and-"

"Slow down, ice queen, you're losing me. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Must I do everything myself? Move." With a mutter Weiss none too gently nudged Yang out of her throne. "Such useless array of cards… long-term thinking isn't your forte, I see." _'Then again, the very concept of thinking seems to elude the small lump of gray matter you call a brain.'_ That last part went unspoken; as much as she considered Yang as a few screws loose in the head, she didn't want to deal with an angry Yang. Winterbournes already had a 'brawn before brain' archetypical member to give her a steady flux of migraines.

The tone of the air changed, and Jaune, for the first time since the game began, looked nervous. Whether it was due to her expertise in the gameplay or just her sheer, frosty personality suffocating the air, he couldn't tell. And when the game finally ended in his victory, he could only manage a quiet sigh of relief.

"So, uh, good game?" Jaune offered, flinching when the heiress' icy gaze zeroed in on him as a hawk would a prey.

"For someone with general lack of talent, you played surprisingly well. So yes, a good game." Weiss' hand briefly met his, before she cut off the contact as if he was contagious. Without another word Weiss' retreating back disappeared through the library door.

"Uh… okay…?" Blake mumbled in confusion.

"Well, I'll be damned. Ice queen _can_ compliment someone without being sarcastic." Yang observed with a low whistle. "And Jaune, of all people. Who'd have thought?"

"Sis…" Ruby shook her head, but smiled nonetheless. Yang may have been as blunt as her fists, but that was just her own eccentric way of showing that she cared. And Jaune was starting to figure it out too, judging by how he scoffed good-naturedly.

"We'd better get going too. She's right with studying for the exams, you know."

"But that's like a month away!" Nora protested.

"We've got assignments to finish, remember?" Blake pointed out.

Nora gave in with a groan, and lumbered after the feline Faunus. Pyrrha followed suit, though not before turning back to address one Jaune Arc. "I'll see you on the usual spot tonight?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah yeah, sure. I'll see you then."

As Pyrrha left, Yang slung her arm around Jaune's shoulders and poked him, her tone promising nothing but merciless teasing. "So, a nightly rendezvous with the resident champion gal, hmm? Didn't know you were into redheads."

"You know it's not like that! We're just training!" Jaune protested.

"Yeah, a 'special' training, alright. I thought that she was someone who preferred the old-fashioned 'on the bed' sort of thing, but guess she had an adventurous streak in her too, huh?" Yang broke into a laughter as Jaune's face took on a deeper shade of red.

"I, we're not, it's just training!" As Yang wiggled her eyebrows, Jaune threw his hands up in the air, before taking his leave with a trail of mutterings.

"Classic. So funny how he gets riled up every time. Never gets old." Yang's laughter subsided, and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Ren rolled his eyes but made no input of his own on the matter. From the corner of his eyes he noticed Ruby was unusually quiet, her face sullen as she absently poked the small pile of crumbs on her plate. Yang also took notice, and her jaunty expression changed to that of concern. "Rubes? You okay?"

"Yep." Came the dull reply that suggested the petite girl was feeling anything but.

Puzzled by her sister's unusual behaviour, she looked at Ren, who simply shrugged in response. Taking a wild stab at the possible root cause of her sister's distress, she decided to begin with an apology. A sincerer one, that is. "Hey, is this about that cookie? I really didn't mean it. I'll get you a new bag, okay?"

"It's not that, it's… Never mind." Abruptly standing up Ruby made for the exit, a blur of motion that left a trail of ephemeral rose petals that faded out of existence. It took a mere second for the two remaining Regalities to wrap their heads around what just transpired, and even then they could only draw blanks as to what caused Ruby to sulk.

"Maybe it has something to do with Jaune?" Ren suggested.

"Jaune? That's ridiculous, why would she- Oh. Ohhhh." Yang snapped her fingers as realisation hit her train of thought, which then proceeded to completely blow it off the track and into the murky depths of unknown that was Yang's mind. "You think what I said about him and Pyrrha bumping uglies-"

"She may have been a prodigy, but she's still only a child." Her partner was certainly feeling talkative today, for reasons unknown to her, to the point of even cutting her short. "Most likely it's just a simple crush, just something that happens to everyone at some point."

"Even you, stone Buddha?" Yang teased, suddenly finding the idea of a stuttering and blushing Ren as he struggled to strike up a conversation with a girl hilarious. "Let me guess, Nora?"

"I'd… rather not say." Ren deflected her attempts of getting an answer out of him. Without waiting for Yang's reply, he too took his leave, leaving the feisty brawler on her own.

"Bo-oring." She drawled after him, then cursed as she realised the board and the pieces were still scattered about. She began to shove them in the container before hastily chasing after her companions.

* * *

Jaune maintained his firm grip on the hilt of his Crocea Mors, and felt the leather straps of his shield digging into his clenched hand. His knees were slightly bent, his steps light yet careful as he circled around his opponent who mirrored his gestures, eyes locked and bodies tense.

Only a few months ago, Jaune Arc back then would've charged headfirst into a fight, swinging his sword like a madman and with no plans or strategy. The Jaune Arc that stood before her now was more careful, warier. His combat style was by no means adequate in comparison to most of his peers, but he took his time to study his opponents, visualising multiple possible scenarios and counters that he could potentially utilise, given more time and training.

Pyrrha gave the tiniest of nod in approval. That evaluative, calculating look in his eyes definitely suited him.

Too bad that he's gotten into a habit of being a bit _too_ cautious, not taking chances to attack. She'd fix that soon enough, however.

Without a warning Pyrrha leapt into action, and threw her shield like a discus. The spinning dipylon shield bounced off Jaune's Hilter Shield, though the impact managed to tip him off balance. The aspiring Hunter-in-training barely had time to regain his composure as Pyrrha was upon him with savage thrusts from her Milo in its javelin form.

"You're focusing too much on defence, Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted over the clang of metal bashing against metal, "You have to learn when to defend and when to be offensive!"

Jaune rapidly backpedalled, panting heavily from blocking onslaught of strikes Pyrrha dished out with her mechanised weapon. "Got it."

"Good. Then try and hit me again!" With a yell she made the first move once more, the grinding of steel accompanying her weapon shifting and shrinking from a long javelin into its xiphos form, much better suited in close quarter combat.

A little over a week ago Pyrrha told him the same thing, only back then he was hesitant. They weren't training with wooden weapons, but with real arms made of steel with sharp, honed edges. Aura or no, the chance of injury was all too possible. That was his reason, when he declined her offer.

Approximately fifteen seconds later, he was lying on his back with stars in his eyes.

" _Do you trust me, Jaune?"_ She asked back then as she helped him up.

" _Uh… yes…?"_

" _Then trust me when I say I won't let you hurt me, just as I won't hurt you."_

He had to bite down the urge to flip her off, instead grudgingly complying and swinging his sword without trying to seem like he was putting all his anger behind his blows.

As they trained and sparred together for longer, he began to see what she meant. She was a professional, well-trained in arts of combat. Every aspect of their training, the way he stood in a stance, his movements, actions, they were all guided and controlled by her own will. She could deliver seemingly fatal blows without endangering either of them, and could handle whatever wild, unrefined and unpredictable moves he made without letting herself get hurt.

So now, he didn't hesitate. His blade swung in an arc, and just as he expected, met with a resistance as she parried it with her own blade, albeit shorter, and delivered controlled blows to his unguarded form.

His body softly glowed as Aura soaked up the damage, though the sensation of pain was still felt, and by reflex he curled up. It was a mistake, as his face was soon introduced to Milo, and he was knocked to the ground with his ears ringing and eyes spinning.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Pyrrha fussed, her face creased in concern.

Even though this wasn't his first training with the Champion, it was still strange to see the complete change in her persona before and after sparring sessions. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just a scratch, but I bet it'll be gone by next morning."

She looked a tad relieved, which he considered was an improvement. At least she stopped offering to escort him to the infirmary after every nightly training a month ago.

"I'm glad. It looks like you're improving. And you're healing faster, too."

Jaune chuckled. "Yeah, but still nowhere near good enough. I probably still have years' worth of training cut out for me if I want to be anywhere near you guys."

"I disagree. You're learning quickly, more than I expected at first. If you keep this up, we might just make a competent fighter out you yet. And since Vytal Festival Tournament will be taking place at the end of this year, I'll definitely make sure you're skilled enough to participate."

He whistled. "That's a tall order. I'd be lucky to even be given a chance to enter, much less actually fight. Besides, what about your own training? I don't want to, you know, hold you back or anything."

Pyrrha shook her head. "Of course you're not. And don't think so little of yourself, Jaune. You have a lot of potential, I can tell."

He still looked unconvinced, but nodded all the same. A part of him was flattered that someone as talented and skilled would pay this much attention to him, but another part of him still held fast to reins of doubt. Pyrrha Nikos was overall polite and kind, perhaps too kind. What was to say that her words were genuine and not just obligatory lines to make him feel better?

He mentally brushed aside the thought, not wanting to dwell on it for long. "Thanks for today, Pyrrha. Same time next Monday?"

"Of course. Night, Jaune." Pyrrha beamed.

Jaune smiled back, and the door softly clicked shut behind him, leaving the Champion alone with her thoughts.

It was one of these moments where she could really have time for herself, just enjoying the silence, something that wasn't possible during the day, what with studies, training, and being around her team members. Away from the chaos of life during the day, the tranquillity of the night basked in the light of Remnant's fractured moon, it was like a breath of fresh air. No wonder Blake tended to disappear on her own when the social interaction with others just seemed too much at times to bear.

But whereas her introverted friend distracted herself with literature, she embraced the quiet moments to think and reflect on the past events, lazily drifting from topic to topic, mostly centred around the present, the 'now' world she lived in. Winterbournes' initially rocky relationship that was starting to improve, albeit slowly, each and every one of her team and roommates and the various roles each played for the team, even if they weren't fully aware of it yet.

Her thoughts eventually hopped from the Winterbournes to the Regalities, a team that seemed like a stark contrast to her own, and yet seemingly sharing the similar problems of unfamiliarity and awkwardness that ensued from mutual desires to cautiously reach out and connect.

At least, it seemed that way with few of them. The larger-than-life personality that was Yang Xiao Long seemed to find herself comfortable among her group, with the more introverted members lagging behind.

Pyrrha stretched, loosening the tension and felt a yawn escape her mouth. Sparring with Jaune required a surprising amount of effort from her part. What started off as a simple lesson in proper stance soon evolved into something more active and dynamic. Not that she was complaining, of course.

Jaune Arc. He certainly was… strange. Getting accepted into one of the most prestigious Combat Academy around Remnant with little to zero combat skills, easily the least talented among his peers, but working almost harder than anyone else.

Even going out of his way to ask someone he barely knew to train him.

Granted, she herself wasn't one to talk, considering how she didn't even take a second to say 'yes'. Looking back, she wasn't quite sure why. Was it because of how she just found him fascinating upon first glance? Or the fact that he approached her without even the slightest idea of who she was? Whatever the reason, she didn't regret her decision to accept his request back then. If nothing else, he was an overall polite and easy to get along with, albeit with no small amount of insecurities and self-doubts.

Her heart leapt when her scroll suddenly rang and dragged her forcibly out of her thoughts. Unlocking the scroll, her partner's none-too-pleased countenance stared back. "Pyrrha, where are you? Curfew's just minutes away!"

Sure enough, the time definitely indicated midnight has been some time ago. With a rushed apology Pyrrha quickly vacated the rooftop, hastily removing her armoured boots so as to avoid making a noise on her way back to her dorm room.

"You're late." Blake greeted in her usual neutral tone, her eyes flickering back to her book.

"Sorry. I was just… thinking." She finished as she undid the clasps of her breastplate, leaving her in her undershirt. Several clicks later her bronze vambraces followed, which she set down gently by the small wooden drawer next to the feet of her bed.

"How was it?" Nora asked from the other side of the room, curled up in her blanket. "Training, with Jaune." She clarified as Pyrrha gave her a puzzled look.

"Oh, it's… alright."

For some reason Nora looked a bit disappointed. "That's it?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Noooothing." Nora drawled. The door to their shared bathroom opened, and out came one heiress clad in bath robes, with a towel turban wound around her head.

"Pffft! Nice wardrobes." Nora chuckled, earning a snort from the resident bookworm.

"Laugh it up, simpleton. At least it's made of high quality silk, not that you'd ever appreciate it, given your horrible taste in fashion." With an eye-roll Weiss climbed into her bed, though not before turning to her partner. "And you Pyrrha, shower's free, so get in before you suffocate us with your odour!"

Pyrrha laughed. "Yes, mother."

Weiss threw her partner a towel with a slight frown. "Very funny."

"It kind is, though. I mean, you _do_ kinda fuss over her a bit." Nora pointed out.

Blake shook her head in mirth. What little 'fussing over' Weiss did with Pyrrha paled in comparison to the amount of nagging Weiss did to Nora on a daily basis. Not that the bubbly girl ever paid attention, most of it just going through one ear and out the other.

As if proving her point, Weiss chose to change her target. "And you, I'm almost certain you haven't finished that assignment I told you to finish three days ago."

"Uh… did that happen?" Nora nervously chuckled.

Weiss was not amused. "Never mind…"

* * *

Several hundreds of kilometers down south in the wilderness, a man crouched on the small cliffside, overlooking a flat clearing that was most likely at one point a forest, now cut down to make room for a well-fortified prison compound. So far from civilisation, this once top-security prison slowly began to see less use, until it degraded into just another storage facility for keeping criminals under lock and key.

The man peered through the binocular, taking note of how loose the security was. At most each of the four overwatch towers were manned with a guard or two, with more visible dispersed within the compound grounds. All wore the traditional military garbs, the twin battleaxe of Valean symbol printed on their back. No Huntsmen in sight.

Setting the binocular down, he thumbed the earpiece and activated it. "The intel was correct. No identifiable Huntsmen in sight, just the military. And not a lot of them, by the looks of it."

"The government probably doesn't care whether this place is wiped off the map or whatever. And something tells me they _dumped_ him here rather than bringing him here. If he was a high priority prisoner, they probably would've shipped him to Atlas."

"All the same, we're going in. Tell the men to get into positions. We leave on my mark."

"Roger, commander." The link went flat, before it re-activated, this time to a different line.

"What's the status?" The man asked.

"Just give me a minute and… done." The multitude of light sources within the compound suddenly blinked out, and darkness flooded in, leaving the occupants in disarray. "I also shut off their back-up power supplies, so if they think they can get their systems online, well…"

"Good. We're going in, then." And without another word he switched lines once more. "Move in."

"Sir." The speaker on the other end acknowledged in affirmation.

* * *

"Bastard." Roman huffed between puffs of cigar, though his eyes didn't stray from the monitors. Around him, various technical equipment filled up the vast majority of the van, the vehicle itself hidden from plain view.

"At least he volunteered. Saves us the trouble of convincing him." Behind him Cinder stated, observing the operation unfold with a blank look.

"That's all they're good for, inn'it?" The smooth criminal tossed in amidst the clattering of keyboards, and the visual feed changed to that of the facilities within, wardens and security guards moving about in panicked frenzy.

Switching to another showed the live scenes of the main gate blown off its hinges, and from the wall of smoke the insurgents of the now-revived terrorist factions charged in, guns blazing. The Valean soldiers, caught unaware, were swiftly cut down, literally with one particular swordsman who hacked his way through the masses, relieving them of their limbs and heads and painting the ground with strokes of red.

"That was quick." A voice droned from behind, and Roman resisted the urge to slap his head. Why did that woman have to drag those kids with her wherever she went? At least his Neo was a professional, had conducts, _standards_.

Ignoring the commentary, Roman switched to security feeds within the blocks, just in time see another group of soldiers gunned down from behind.

* * *

Adam Taurus leapt down from the rails with his sword drawn, the reinforced steel easily cutting through the pitiful excuse for a body armour Vale saw fit to garb their soldiers in. Behind him waves of White Fang insurgents followed, easily overpowering the military with sheer numbers.

It wasn't just the numbers, though. With all light extinguished, the only means of light the soldiers had were the torches attached to the barrels of their firearms. They didn't have night vision on their sides, whether natural or artificial. The most they could do was to fire blindly into the darkness, while the insurgents took pot shots from seemingly everywhere, not tied down by same visual restrictions.

"Shit shit shit!" One of the soldiers yelled through his mask as his clip ran dry. The soldier frantically reached for a new magazine strapped to his side, though never had the chance to reload as his arm flopped uselessly on to the ground, his upper torso following soon after.

"This block's clear!"

"Move to the next one!" Adam commanded as he shook blood off his sword. Rushing thuds of boots and occasional rattles of rifles sped past by, as he took off in the opposite direction on his own, cutting open a bolt lock to the door that led down, into what seemed like a wide hallway, with voices coming from the control room to the right of the entrance.

"…Sector 3 and 4 down, and we're losing ground!"

"Sir, we still can't connect with the HQ, the lines are dead!"

"Goddamnit! What are those fuckers up to?"

So, there were still few humans alive, were they? And all in an enclosed space, too. With a savage grin Adam crouched and slowly inched closer until he was pressed right up against the wall with the door right next to him, and reached for his pocket, his hand clasping around a small round object.

Explosives wasn't usually his preferred method of killing, but he had to admit that they did get the job done, albeit with a lot of mess. Pulling the metal pin, he turned the doorknob, quickly tossed the grenade and slammed the door shut, running just as a fiery explosion engulfed the enclosed room and rocked the hallway. The soldiers inside, however many, didn't even have time to scream as the explosion fuelled by densely packed fire Dust licked their flesh clean from their charred bones.

The blader picked himself up with a cough. The shockwave was strong enough to knock him off his feet, though fortunately it threw him out of the blast radius. And with his lack of Aura…

Dusting himself along with the morbid thoughts, he continued onwards through the hall, noticing the lack of other cells unlike the holding blocks above the surface. Most likely this was where the more 'special' prisoners were kept. And if the intel was correct, this was where their target was being held.

With a smirk he slowed to a walk as the hall began to narrow into a corridor that turned left. Frowning he placed his back flat on the wall and peered over the edge, noticing a door at the end, unguarded.

With the key card he swiped from a dead warden earlier (along with the pass code Roman gave after hacking into their system), the door hissed as it slid open, revealing an outline of a big figure hunched over, face framed with long, dirty mane of hair and eyes that lit up in recognition.

"Adam…?" Lowe the Lion muttered in disbelief.

"Commander."

"I heard the noise… it was you?"

The blader nodded. Relief washed over the Lion's face as he stood up. "The White Fang, they're here with you, are they?"

"Yes."

"Good, good. I never questioned your loyalty, Adam. Now, let's leave this place behind while we can. Sooner we get out of here, the better." Lowe placed a hand on the blader's shoulder as he walked past. Or at least, tried to.

The Lion heard the sound of blade eating flesh before he saw the red blade jutting out of his abdomen. "A-Adam?"

Wilt was swiftly pulled out, though it struck again, this time going for the lion's jugular, in a literal sense. The look of bewilderment was forever frozen on the head of the former White Fang commander as it was permanently removed from his shoulders, and the headless torso crumpled in a bloody heap at the blader's feet.

Nudging the rolling head away with his feet, Adam sheathed his blade and walked away, not even looking back as he unloaded another grenade, the resulting explosion turning the corpse into shower of gore, the hungry flames immediately devouring the remains.

* * *

"It is… unfortunate that our commander perished and wasted away before we could retrieve him." Adam hung his head, as did the rest of the White Fang who were present in the impromptu funeral service.

"He lived his days as a warrior, fighting for the equality that we Faunus deserved, yet was denied." He set down a bouquet of flower, a meagre offering, but the only token they could afford for now.

"He was one of the first to stand up and fight back, and since then led us, guided us. He was a warrior, yet the humans couldn't even give him the right to die fighting. Instead they left him to rot, and murdered him in cold blood before we could save him."

Cries of anger rose from the crowd, and Adam turned to face those he now led under his command. "Where is his justice? Our justice? The humans take and take from us, leaving us with nothing. Nothing! So I ask each and every one of you this; where is the justice?!"

The shouts escalated, as did their rage. "Death to the humans!" A voice yelled amongst the crowd.

"Death! Death! Death!" The Faunus insurgents chanted. Constant prejudice and racial discrimination, denial of equal rights, ignoring their pleas and ruthlessly subduing any resistance. And now the humans have robbed them of one of their key figureheads, one of the founding members of White Fang organisation – and by proxy portion of the Faunus race – and left him to dry up and die.

"Then follow my lead. Follow me, and we _will_ take back what is ours." Adam snarled, and the crowd went wild. Their roars followed him even as he left, not one soul aware that he was smirking.

* * *

 **Psych.**


	14. Act 2: Chapter 5

**ACT 2: The Stray**

* * *

 **[AUDIO RECORDING 009]**

"… _the concept of light's wave-particle duality seems to also apply for Aura, as well. However, Aura, while manifested in form of light, has also, in the past, displayed behaviours that are at odds with that of conventional physics of light. Past studies have shown that Aura, in essence, is 'radiated' from the body and forms what is basically a layer conforming to the outlines of the user. How this is shaped has yet to be explained."_

"Heard that Ruby? That's definitely a force field."

"Yeah right! You should get your hearing checked Jaune, 'cause that totally sounded like a shield to me!"

" _Still, what scientists did find was that this 'radiation' has patterns unique to individuals. That, and Aura isn't radiated evenly around the body – some parts of the body has higher 'concentration' of Aura and other parts less. To put that into perspective, every person, both in and out of this room who can use Aura, have their own Achilles Heel, the areas of the body less protected by Aura, and so much more vulnerable to damage. Fortunately, these differences in concentration levels are nearly indiscernible to naked eyes, and only barely visible with high-spec detection technology. We'll conclude the lecture here, and Mr. Arc and Miss Rose? I'd like to see you both afterwards."_

"...Fuck."

* * *

Being part-feline, Blake thought then, wasn't doing her much favours when it came to maintaining a good, healthy sleep cycle, or lack thereof. The nocturnal animal within her simply refused to yield, and it wasn't something that could be quelled with medications. Not that she hasn't tried before, if a small stash of melatonin and benzos were anything to go by. She dropped them like a hot sack after a day of feeling lucid and generally feeling less like a cat-human hybrid and more like a sentient seaweed. Overdose was a bitch, and Blake learned her lessons well. And on the subject of lessons…

"This bridge you're standing on right now is the very bridge that Valean cavalries used to quickly traverse from Arula to Vulca, where they were able to fend off the pirate raid. To honour the victory, they named the bridge as such, the Equitum Bridge- Hey, are you listening or what?"

Unsurprisingly Weiss took the lead, dragging a rather reluctant Nora, drilling history facts behind every notable landmark they passed by. Pyrrha, a wise move on her part, stayed out of the firing range, while she brought up the rear, letting the heiress' teachings gently slither in through one ear and out the other. Weiss may have claimed this social outing as a good chance for the quartet to unwind, and even as a little lesson on Vale history, but Blake knew better. The fact that ships carrying students from Shade Academy was scheduled to dock in the industrial district (or _Vulca_ as Valeans called it) on the very day they were out 'socialising' seemed too convenient to be written off as a coincidence.

Not that she disapproved, Blake pondered as they left the bridge behind them. She knew little about the average combat aptitudes of those who trained and lived in harsh environment, only that they were quite competent and, if situations demanded for it, brutal. Sometimes all it took was a one good look to have a grasp of one's disposition. Knowing the enemy was one of the many essential prerequisites for victory, or in some cases, assassination.

Another yawn sneaked past her lips, and not for the first time Pyrrha wore that look of concern that Blake was all too used to seeing, though most of the time it was the more rambunctious red-head of the Winterbournes and her antics that caused it.

"Keep looking like that, and you'll get wrinkles." Blake flatly stated. A good conversation-opener, she had none.

Pyrrha didn't seem too bothered. "Maybe if you told me why you haven't had a good night's rest since, well, since the first night we spent as roommates, then I'll have a reason not to worry."

' _So she noticed?'_ Blake thought she was doing a decent job hiding it – a light touch of make-ups, sneaking in occasional power naps went a long way in maintaining a façade of normalcy. "I don't know what you mean."

Pyrrha, unsurprisingly, didn't seem convinced. "If you say so. Just… talk to us, okay?" Nora glanced over her shoulder, and exchanged a look of concern with the Mistralian.

Blake simply nodded. Seemingly unsatisfied with the lack of response, Nora hung back just as Pyrrha picked up her pace to accompany the heiress.

"Have you tried meditating?" Nora asked out of the blue.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Meditating." Nora repeated, "It's what Renny does whenever he has trouble sleeping. He's got insomnia too, and he said meditating helps keep him calm, and… stuff."

'… _Renny? Oh, right, him.'_ Blake couldn't fathom how two individuals with opposite personalities could ever persevere the long years of status quo as childhood friends, but that was neither here nor there. "I see."

"Yeah, and it works! Well, kinda." Nora looked a little sheepish. "You should try it sometime. Then maybe you won't have to stay up late to read or sneak out the window."

 _That_ got her attention. "…You noticed?"

"Silly, we share a bunk bed, remember? And besides, what kind of partner would I be if I didn't notice?"

Blake was taken aback, in part because it was Nora who pointed it out, and partly because of how she said it. Pyrrha being the observant one Blake already saw coming, but Nora? She also didn't expect the bubbly grenadier to say something simple yet considerate, which touched her. A little. Granted, she doubted the demons running rampant in her mind could be soothed, but the sentiment was there all the same.

"Aw look, you're smiling!"

Blake scoffed, though there was no malice behind it. "Don't get too used to it, Nora."

"Well, we'll just keep trying, then." With that she skipped forward, cheerfully interrupting the conversation between Weiss and Pyrrha, with a light huff of annoyance from the former. The heiress made no attempts to push Nora away, however, and the conversation picked up its pace once more, as if nothing has happened.

Hanging a little distance from the group, Blake observed her teammates in silence. Looking at them now, she couldn't help but see just how far their little group had come since their days in the beginning. Months ago, Weiss wouldn't have been the one to suggest a social outing lest they 'embarrassed' her in public eyes, Nora wouldn't have approached them willingly just for the sake of it.

And Blake wouldn't have come to actually enjoy being around these people, enough to simply wander around the city and enjoying their company-

"…so let's stop by the café first, then we can go shopping! What do you think, Blake? Blake?"

"Sorry, but I just remembered I had an errand to run." Blake recited as calmly as she could, hoping that the blank mask was securely fastened to her face.

"Wait, right now?" Weiss asked, incredulous.

"I'm sorry, it completely slipped my mind. I'll catch up as soon as I'm done, okay?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Blake knew the heiress caught on the underlying tone of urgency. Much to her relief however, she acquiesced. "Alright. But I expect you to turn up soon, got that?"

"Yeah. Thanks." With that out of the way Blake moved quickly, her mind mentally tracking her target as she turned around the corners. For the first time in her life she regretted not being a canine Faunus – they may have been hygienically backward, but there was no denying the merits of their uncanny sense of smell. Night vision did shit during day time.

Still, she wasn't an ex-Infiltrator for nothing. After briefly checking that there was no one in the vicinity, she slipped into the alleyway to her side and scaled the wall with practiced ease. Pulling herself up with grace, she wasted no time in running, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. The buildings around this part of Vulca district tended to be multiple storeys high with flat roofs, and so Blake didn't have to worry too much about keeping a low profile.

' _There.'_ After a short chase she found the target on the ground several floors before, casually walking by, blending with the rest of the crowd. On an outwardly appearance the girl looked boringly plain, with no distinguishable mark that differentiated her from the rest of the people around her. The plain, modest sets of clothes she wore also helped with more than hiding the scales, as well. The young snake Faunus was once her subordinate during her days as a White Fang operative, and the two were more often than not at each other's throats. Blake wasn't reluctant with the idea of fighting her former colleague, even killing her, if it came down to it.

Blake leapt from the roof, landing deftly on her feet with barely a sound. Brushing herself, she allowed some distance between herself and the girl, and begin tailing her. The girl led her further and further from the crowded communal areas, and closer into the docks, full of warehouses and storage sheds, the cries of seagulls echoing above with the sound of waves slapping the shore. When the girl abruptly turned right and disappeared around the corner, Blake's instinct suddenly kicked in, screaming at her to flee. And she would've, if her way wasn't blocked by two men she never heard approaching.

Blake didn't bother with words, merely drawing her Gambol Shroud from her hips. The two men also reacted accordingly, long thin blades unfolding from their sleeves and wielded in a reverse grip. Too late, Blake realised just who she was dealing with here.

"Well, look who it is." A feminine voice spoke from behind, and the snake Faunus walked forward, a blade identical in design to two men's also in her grasp in similar fashion. "Been a while, Blake."

Blake growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Why do you care? You're the one who walked out on us, traitor." The girl spat.

"Really? And I'm just supposed to believe that three Infiltrators running undercover in Vale is, what, a completely normal thing to do?" Blake glowered, her ears flickering with every movement the two men behind her made.

"Enough with the chatter. We have our orders: kill any witnesses." One of the men snarled, revealing pointy sets of incisors.

"You're welcome to try." Blake immediately leapt to action, feeling her Aura shimmering around her form before flowing out of her, and within moments the trio of Infiltrators faced two Blakes.

"That one's a fake!" The girl shouted, and the two men swiftly hacked the afterimage into pieces, though that was enough time for Blake to lock blades with the female Infiltrator. Crouching to avoid a horizontal slash, Blake folded her Gambol Shroud's blade on its back to its chain-sickle form, then swung it in an arc in an attempt to knock the girl off her feet. She jumped, though not fast enough to avoid the attack. There was a sound of tearing fabric, and the girl hissed, thin lines of blood wetting the parts of the leggings around her thigh. Blake caught a glimpse of rough patches of scale on the exposed flesh before she was forced to dive for cover from the gunshots.

"You'll pay for that!" The Faunus girl yelled as she pulled the trigger. The two male Infiltrators also took out their own handguns and opened fire, pinning the feline Faunus behind her cover.

"Damn!" Her weapon shifted into its ranged form, and blindly shot a few rounds. Something metallic clanged against the concrete beside her, and she only had a few seconds to realise what the object was before the world around her was engulfed in thick plumes of smoke.

Combat reflexes from her years of rigorous training kicked in, and she immediately covered her mouth to avoid inhaling the fume, and immediately sprinted out of her cover. It was a risky move, but it was safer than floundering about in the smoke. Having been one of them once she knew standard Infiltrator combat tactics. Blanketing the enemy with smoke to rob them of their vision, and pick off the disoriented targets one by one was one such example.

Of course, she knew the Infiltrators were also outfitted with specialised eye pieces for detection purposes, and visual impairment of the smoke did not apply to the agents. No sooner after Blake made another clone a bullet tore through it's head. Hot stinging pain soon followed after as the shots nailed her on the back, though luckily her Aura still held. She didn't want to count on its protection for long, however.

The docks whistled past her, her ears ringing with bullets that barely missed her. The gunfire ceased when she neared the busier, livelier part of the industrial district, though she knew better than to relax. A quick glance behind her shoulder showed the empty docks, bereft of the presence of her pursuers, and this only terrified her more. Infiltrators were bad news whenever they turned up; they were worse when they disappeared into thin air.

She picked up her pace, her eyes roaming over the passers-by. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that those three were the only White Fang operatives sent undercover. She wasn't quick to discount the possibility of assailants hidden amongst the crowd, stabbing or shooting the target when they least expected it and silently disappearing like a ghost.

Past several blocks she snuck into a passageway between two buildings, leading to a wide, spacious dead end. A parking lot, she figured, mostly empty save for a few vehicles. The area was walled off on all sides, extending at least several storeys high. Too high for a quick escape route, like a cage. She felt her insides clench, and hastily made for the exit, only to halt when she found the way blocked.

"There you are. Now hold still if you don't mind? We wasted enough time with this cat-and-mouse as it is. The sooner you die, the better it will be for all of us."

Gambol Shroud snapped into its handgun form, and Blake responded by opening fire. The trio deflected the rounds with ease, slowly creeping towards her at a leisurely pace. The two male Faunus broke off from the centre and spread sideways, intent on cornering their lone target.

The snake Faunus lunged first, sparks flying as her curved blade met with Blake's own. Blake pushed the assailant away, sidestepping just in time to avoid being slashed by the man with sharp incisors. She wasn't fast enough to dodge the one from the other male Infiltrator, however, and she fell with a cry as she felt her back cut open.

Blake didn't have the luxury of crouching on the ground and give in to her pain. Ignoring the sharp fire on her back she folded her weapon, and grabbing the end of the long black ribbon she threw it. The female snake Faunus deflected it with ease, though was unprepared for the follow-up move when Blake's clone flashed into existence and grabbed the parried weapon and slammed the blade into the girl's neck. Her Aura provided some protection against the lethal blow, though not enough to prevent the steel from biting into her neck and drawing blood.

One of the male Infiltrators roared and severed the ribbon, and Gambol Shroud dropped on the ground. Disarmed and injured, Blake couldn't put up much of a resistance when the sharp-teethed Faunus threw a harsh haymaker, and the gravel-laden ground rushed to meet her as she fell, blood swirling in her mouth from the punch.

"You traitorous bitch!" Her vision swam when another blow savagely struck her face, and her arms fell limp by her side. Her bladed hilt kicked out of her reach, another set of feet joined in, and the ex-Infiltrator breathed a strangled cry when her ribs broke.

She couldn't use her Semblance. Her weapons were kicked aside. She couldn't even fight back. All she could do was to endure the barrage of punches and kicks, trying her best not to give in and die right then and there.

Blake hissed when she was forced to her knees by her ear, still bound in ribbons. Through her blurred vision the snake Faunus' smiled toothily in a way that promised nothing but pain. "You got me good, Belladonna. Seems like you haven't completely lost your edge. Not that it matters."

"Go to hell." Blake whispered.

"Not before I send you there first, bitch."

"You sure you want to kill her? Come to think of it, she and Taurus was close once, right?" One of the male Faunus grunted.

"She's a traitor. She was dead the moment she turned her back on everything we stood for." The snake Infiltrator snarled as she reached for her weapon.

Blake closed her eyes, not wanting to see the glistening steel before it cut her throat open. She couldn't bring herself to admit that her life was going to end here, even before she could take any significant step towards her goal, to atone for her past deeds. She knew that she couldn't run from her past, but she didn't realise just how soon it would catch up to her.

Warm spray of blood painted her face, and tentatively she opened her eyes to see the snake girl staring back blankly, before slowly falling on the ground with a hole through her torso.

Blake felt her body hitting the ground as the two male Infiltrators released her from their grasps, yelling and brandishing their own weapons. She felt the muffled crack of gunshots, barely audible thud of another body – now corpse – slammed into the pavement, and someone calling her name, shaking her by the shoulders. The last thing before she blacked out was a wild mane of golden hair.

* * *

Jaune lunged forward with a thrust of his Crocea Mors, forcing his enemy to sidestep to his left. Jaune followed with a quick bash of his shield, though his enemy was agile as he twisted around and stabbed forward, the tip of the needle-like rapier punching through his guard and his chest. Jaune sighed just as a buzzer went off.

"Damnit, thought I had it this time." Jaune grumbled as Yang threw him a towel.

"Considering how a few months ago you didn't even know how to turn the thing on, I'd call that a progress."

"Har har." Yang simply grinned as she flicked the switch off, and the holographic AI duelist gave a bow before it faded into nothingness. The stage light went out just as the rest flashed to life, emphasising the emptiness of the vast training hall. Rows upon rows of bleachers on the gallery was left unoccupied, though that suited Jaune just fine. It was better than messing up in front of a large audience, after all. The less opportunity he gave people to laugh at him, the better.

"What, leaving already?" Yang asked as he unfolded his shield and sheathed his Crocea Mors.

"Yeah. I missed lunch, so I'm wrapping it up early." That, and he didn't want to linger around just in case Yang decided she wanted to spar. The first and the last time he did, he woke up in the infirmary the next morning, hurting all over. Cardin and his lackeys, among many others, didn't hold back in picking him apart with verbal taunts. Still, the sight of Cardin's hulking form flying across the stadium courtesy of Yang's savage uppercut was definitely worth it.

Yang shrugged, and with a lazy wave turned on the training AI, taking the form of a muscular giant. Ember Celica clicked into its gauntlet form, and her shouts of glee accompanied the blasts from her shotgun gloves.

Jaune stood watching for a short while, then closed the door behind him, briefly wandering whether Yang stopped asking him for sparring because she thought he wasn't worth her time, which didn't seem very unlikely. The most challenge he could offer her, or anyone in Beacon for that matter, was a light warm-up, if even that. Given that, why Pyrrha, or even his teammates kept putting up with him-

"Ow!" Jaune hissed, gingerly rubbing his cheeks. It didn't leave any marks, thanks to his Aura, but it didn't completely negate the pain behind the blow, more so since he still wore his steel gauntlet.

' _Note to self: next time I punch myself, take the gloves off first. It'll hurt less. Probably.'_

He heard a snicker, and turned around to see two girls leaning on the wall, whispering to each other behind their hands with laughter in their eyes. Face glowing red in embarrassment, Jaune picked up his pace and headed for the dining hall. Fortunately for him, lunch hour was almost nearing its end, meaning most of the students were already finished, leaving the occasional few last-minute runners scrambling for hasty bites. Grabbing a sandwich and a small apple Jaune made his way back to the dorms, head down and avoiding eye contact with anyone he passed by.

"You really sure?" He looked up when he heard a familiar voice further down the corridor, and soon enough he saw his partner pacing back and forth, her attention solely focused on her scroll and whoever she was calling at the moment.

"I'm really sure." Came the masculine voice from the other end, and Jaune identified it as Ren's flat monotonous reply.

"Are you really really sure?" Ruby asked, her pacing growing ever more frantic.

"I'm really really sure."

"Are you really really really-"

"Ruby, no."

The young Huntress-in-training visibly deflated. "Fine." With a pout she ended the call, and Jaune chose that moment to let his presence known.

"Something wrong?"

"Oh, hey Jaune."

"Was that Ren on the line?" Jaune asked as the two naturally fell into step, leisurely walking back to their dorm room. When Ruby nodded, Jaune prodded further. "So what's the problem?"

"The problem is that he's being stubborn by sticking to whites when he should've thrown them aside long ago."

Jaune raised his brow in confusion. "You lost me. What?"

"I'm talking about upgrades, Jaune. Upgrades!" Ruby's sudden outburst garnered a few odd looks from other students nearby, though the two Regalities paid them no heed. "Have you noticed Ren's StormFlower? Of course you did. And you'd also know just how, how, ugh, downright crappy they are, right?"

"Uh…"

"Yeah, exactly! He even had the gall to call them 'automatic pistols', and even looked offended when I said they were peashooters, which is definitely true!"

"Ouch. Still, didn't he say those are mostly for distractions rather than actually doing damage?"

"Who said you can't do both? So naturally I offered to take it and give it a nice upgrade. You know, an actual gun?" They reached their dorm room, and with a beep from their scroll the lock disengaged. Ruby immediately proceeded to turn on their shared virtual screens, while Jaune took out a can of soda from the mini fridge that came as part of the few amenities granted for the 'Icky Firsties'. "Then I gave him a few different ways I could polish it. Like, say, lower fire rate at the cost of higher firepower per rounds? Like a hand cannon, for instance!"

"Like the ones from Grimmlands?" Jaune took a hearty slurp from the can.

"Yeah, those ones! Except with better accuracy, like a compact targeting system! And, okay, I admit, StormFlower isn't that bad – I'd give it a green."

"Just green?"

"Hey, I was being generous. If only he just let the master at work, it'd be a shiny purple by now, or even an orange!" Ruby huffed as she bent down under her mattress, and after a little struggle fished out a non-descriptive brown bag, which she immediately sank her fist into, drawing out a battered cookie. "But nooooooo! 'It's fine the way it is,' he said. 'It's always been like this,' he said. Who on earth says 'no' to better guns? Who?"

"Hmm…" Jaune booted up the console, and soon his Commando was up and running, before deploying his turret and tucking under its protective shield layer, gunning down the onslaught of multi-legged creatures that hopped and rolled towards his character.

With a cookie between her teeth Ruby took up her own controller, and the second screen popped up next to his, and a slender character with a glass helmet took to the barren battlefield, performing invasive brain surgery on legions of masked bandits and psychos with his/her/it's elemental sniper rifle.

"What, no Mechromancer this time?" Jaune pointed out, recalling the one time Ruby squealed over the legless floating golem made of crude machinery that fired lasers which fried the mooks alive.

"I need to blow off steam by shooting things. I'll show him that he's wrong someday! Hmph!" Ruby took a large chomp out of her cookie, spraying crumbs everywhere, though the girl hardly seemed to notice nor care. Jaune turned his eyes back on the screen when the sound of glass shattering echoed from the speakers, and his Commando ran like a mad man as his health bar started to deplete from rain of spikes thrown his way.

"Ah crap!" Jaune blurted out when his character died. "Come and save my ass? And don't teabag me this time."

"No promises." Ruby teased, though didn't abuse her victory crouch button like she did last time, and soon enough, Jaune's Commando was back up and running, with Ruby's Assassin providing sniper support. "Y'know, speaking of guns, I've been wondering…"

"Yeah?"

"You're pretty good at FPS, but I've never actually seen you using guns in real life. Why's that?" Ruby asked as their characters teleported to the hub city, lazily walking about to sell all the junk and crap they gathered from the exploration.

Jaune took a moment to think about his answer. "You mean, aside the fact that shooting in games isn't the same IRL? Well… I don't really know, to be honest. Maybe I'm just not a gun kind of person?" He tried to imagine himself as the Commando he played, spraying the enemy with a barrage of hot lead, and couldn't. For all his training – however limited it was – and during his upbringing, his ideal image of a hero, a warrior, was that of a man armed with the tried-and-true sword and shield, bravely facing off his adversaries up close and cutting them with holy blades, his shield protecting him against anything the evil threw in his way. Throwing a gun into the picture, it just didn't fit, like an odd piece of puzzle from another set.

"Really? But- but- guns! Imagine how badass you'd look with an assault rifle!" Ruby gave him a once-over with a thoughtful look. "Yeah, definitely an assault rifle, some armour, and a badass name, like 'Commander Jaune Shepa-'"

"Uhhh, no."

"Aww, come on! Don't be another Lie Ren and ruin my party! Besides, you're already learning how to fight from Pyrrha, who says you can't also learn how to use a gun?"

"I… suppose…? But who's going to waste- I mean, spend their time to teach me?"

Ruby frowned. Jaune raised his hands apologetically. "Still, I think it's a valid point. I was lucky Pyrrha agreed to teach me how to use a sword, not sure if I'll get lucky the second time."

"What about me?" Ruby finally blurted out. "I'm also a girl, and I can also use a gun!"

"But your Crescent Rose is a sniper rifle, right?"

"Jaune, maybe you didn't know, but I did have training to use all kinds of firearms. I just stuck with the sniper rifle because that's my favourite. If you wanted to, I could teach you how to use a shotgun. No, really!" Ruby raised her voice as Jaune gave her a skeptical look. He just couldn't picture the small, diminutive girl before him actually toting around a boomstick.

"Okay, so maybe I'm not _that_ good at using some types of guns, but hey, that's not the point! The point is, do you want to learn or not?" The last bit came out rushed, and her face took on a rosy hue. Jaune couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, and patted her hair, earning an angry pout from his partner.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

 **A/N: Though _Rwby: World of Remnant_ has an episode(?) about Aura, they have never, if I recall correctly, specifically mentioned the science behind Aura, how they work, etc. That, and even though Aura do protect it's users, it's not flawless, since momentum still applies. It certainly is an interesting topic, and I'm sure many people have their own variations of how Aura works and whatnot. Feel free to share your own viewpoints. And the lecture bit? Happened to me one time when I was quietly (relatively speaking) chatting with a friend during a lecture and the lecturer heard us talking. **

**Jaune, out of the main 8 characters, is the only one without any form of ranged weaponry in his arsenal. I've always wondered whether his teammates ever brought up the topic of him branching out and trying new weapon styles. Suppose that doesn't really suit his image, though.**


	15. Act 2: Chapter 6

**ACT 2: The Monster Stirs**

* * *

 _"What is a Dark Age, people ask me. I tell them this; it's an era with histories lost to us, blank chapters in the annals of mankind's existence, when all our knowledge of the past suddenly disappeared from our minds, as if they never existed. Only few paintings, literature, and other works of man exists as proofs that we humans and Faunus didn't just suddenly exist, but rather proving that humans and Faunus had our own origins and histories. Some of the more religious zealots claim it was a divine punishment from their deities above, while the more pragmatic, practical-minded folks suggests an epidemic. Some of the more crackpot theories I've seen on the net say we're actually all dead and it's our souls that just lingers here in the mortal realm, just us not knowing that we're dead. Ha! Crackpot theory, indeed!_

 _Still, it truly is an enigma, how the entire world somehow forgot about the past in a blink of an eye. I put little stock in religious rumours, but science often fail to disprove religion, while religion cannot invalidate science. I wonder, are they both sides of a same coin, or do they exist on entirely separate planes of existence? Hmm..._

 _"Dr Oobleck? Here's your coffee."_

 _"Ah, thank you! Now, where was I? Ah yes, the Dark Age, of course! What is a Dark Age, people ask me..."_

* * *

"So…" Sun cleared his throat, and again, as he struggled to strike up a conversation. Nothing came up, at least, nothing that seemed like a good opening liner, so instead he let the elephant in the room be. "Uh…"

"It's… good to see you again." From the opposite side of the couch Blake muttered, eyes still glued to her almost-empty cup of tea. She never expected to run into an old childhood friend who she all but forgotten after his family left for Vacuo ten years ago, and certainly not under such… unique circumstances. "…How are you doing?"

"Good… yeah, good. And you?" Words came out before he could even properly get them filtered, and Sun mentally kicked himself for asking such an asinine question. _'Yeah, she was inches away from almost getting herself killed by some freaks, why wouldn't she be fine? Of course she isn't, dumbass!'_

"I've been better." Blake quietly spoke into the cup, twirling the fine chinaware between her noticeably delicate fingers. Quickly shaking himself out of the thought, he decided to test the waters a bit more.

"Yeah, no kidding. What happened back there?"

"…You saw what happened. You were there, right?" Blake muttered, recalling how the snake Faunus fell in front of her eyes, blood freely flowing from the gaping hole in her chest. There was another, one of the two male Faunus, who also met his end, though how she did not see.

Sun visibly tensed, his face locked in a grim expression. "Yeah, I was."

"Sun, I-"

"Look, I… whatever I was trying to do, it wasn't about… killing them, okay? But they were there, and you… what was I supposed to do, just leave you there?" Sun sprang to his feet, frustration and anger flooding his outburst with a hint of desperation.

"Sun!" Blake too, was on her feet, and rested her hands on his broad shoulders, gently yet firmly pushing him down to his seat. "Sun, it's okay. I'm not blaming you for what you did. You did what you had to do."

Sun let out a deep sigh, and with it the tension. "Shit, I didn't mean to yell. My bad. It's just…"

"It's okay." Blake repeated. He still looked troubled, but eventually nodded.

"Thanks. But really, why were they after you?"

"…They were muggers. I was careless and let them corner me, and when I told them I didn't have anything, they-"

"Blake," Sun leaned forward with a serious look. "I'm not an idiot. Why was the White Fang after you?"

For a split second her eyes widened in surprise before she schooled her expression. Her ears involuntarily twitched, however. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then how do you explain the marks?" When Blake remained silent, he elaborated, "On the back of their necks. I caught glimpses of it when I shot that chick. The guy too, after I kicked his ass."

"H-how do you know it's not just a regular tattoo-"

"I know what White Fang's mark looks like, Blake. I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. What I want to know is why three of those terrorists were trying to cut your head off."

Blake stared at her feet, wordless. She was certain he was waiting for her reply, an answer to his unspoken demand. Could she trust him enough to tell him the truth? She bounced the idea back and forth, all the while Sun silently watched for her reaction. He got one, albeit one he wasn't exactly expecting, when the sound of door clicking open temporarily hooked their attention.

"I'm ba- Uh, hey?" A tanned male teen stood by the doorway, carrying bulging plastic bags in each hand. His gaze darted back and forth between the two Faunus, puzzled. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No, you didn't." Sun snapped, quietly cursing his partner's bad timing.

Sun's unexpected hostility only made the teen more confused. "Uh, okay? Well, uh, I see your friend's up. How you feelin'?"

"Good, thank you." Blake curtly answered, before she turned to Sun. "Let's go. We need to talk." Not waiting for his reply she rose, and the teen stepped aside, letting her pass.

"Dude, what's up with her?"

"It's nothing. I'll just be out. See you in a bit, Nep." With a slap on the back Sun stepped past his partner, closing the door behind him. Blake was already walking ahead, and Sun sped up to catch up with her, before settling in a matching pace.

Outside, the air was pleasantly warm and quiet. A few people were out and about, gardening or just simply enjoying a leisurely walk around the neighbourhood. Though she never visited the famed Opes district before, she knew she was walking on one of its streets, the stylish, modern architectural splendour of her surrounding suggested nothing less. A complete contrast to the conglomeration of rustic metal and worn stone walls that decorated the Vulca district where she narrowly escaped death.

"How did I end up here?" She asked as a follow-up thought.

"Because I brought you here. You know, so you could recover?"

"Why not a hospital?"

Sun scratched his chin. "Well, the thing is, I didn't have a single lien on me, and hospital costs a lot. And you know they like to ask a lot of questions. Bet they weren't going to be buy the whole 'fell down the stairs' story either."

Blake nodded in agreement. There were bound to be questions she didn't want to give answers to, and that they often left paper trails. Anyone who was determined in tracking her down could've easily connected the dots and combed the whole city. "That's understandable. Suppose that left the cops out of the option, too." Murder, however justified, was still murder in the eyes of the law, and the jail was one of the last place she wanted to end up in.

"Yeah, and if they found out I hot-wired some dude's car, they'd probably arrest me first," Sun casually tossed it in, before realising his mistake and clammed up. The damage was already done, however, as Blake shot him a look that made him want to squirm. "Look, it's not like I had much options left, okay? And stop giving me the stink eye! It was for a good cause this time!"

"'This time'?" It was a poor choice of words, and Sun looked like he was about to tear his hair out in frustration. "Alright, forget I said anything. Carry on."

Sun crossed his arms, but continued nonetheless. "I drove us out of the scene, and just in time to avoid the cops, too. Someone must've heard all the gunshots and called the police. Anyway, I knew a close friend of mine had like a holiday pad or something in Vale, so I ditched the car and carried you the rest of the way. It's a good thing Neptune's loaded, those medical Dusts costs a fortune."

"Neptune?"

"The guy with the blue hair. That was his apartment," Sun explained.

"Must've been quite an explanation you had to do," Blake mused.

"Nah, he's pretty chill about the whole thing. Probably 'cause it was a hot girl who turned up at his door, all messed up. He'd think it was something straight out of one of those anime he watches," Sun rolled his eyes as Blake lowered hers, embarrassed.

"I hope I wasn't too much of a bother."

"Hey, it's cool. Well, except that one time when Neptune threw a fit 'cause he had to wash the blood out of the linen by hand, but- Uh, never mind."

Her face fell with guilt, and Sun mentally kicked himself for letting his mouth shoot off again. "Crap, you know what, just ignore what I said, 'kay? Neptune always tells me I never have my filters on. Though it feels like I never had any to begin with, to be honest."

The two walked in awkward silence that was left hanging in the air until he decided to initiate another conversation. "By the way, where do you live? Nep's got a car, so we can drop you off."

"It's-" The answer stopped dead on her lips, and she realised she didn't want to return to Beacon. Rather, she couldn't. Not yet. "It's fine. I'll manage."

"You sure? But what if…" Sun trailed off, though she could tell what was on his mind. Her lips pursed, she contemplated for a moment before she made up her mind. Coming to a halt, she gestured at a cobblestone footpath that led deeper into a park. "Blake?"

"Sun, before we left, you said you wanted to know, right?" She was visibly distressed, looking torn as she struggled to make a decision. Part of him wanted to reassure her that she didn't need to force herself to tell, though the dominant part of his conscience allowed his curiosity to take the reins. So instead he turned to face her, patiently waiting.

"Go on. I'm listening." He managed with a serious tone.

Blake took a deep breath, and exhaled. "What do you know about the White Fang?"

He raised a brow, though gave her a straight answer. "I know that they're terrorists, and heavily discriminates humans. But I also know they can be just as cruel to their own kind when it suits them," The last part came out with a bitterness that caused Blake to look at his pained face, though she gave a nod.

"They are. They claim to fight for Faunus rights and equality, but when it comes down to it, they don't care who they hurt or kill if it means furthering their own ambitions. Humans, Faunus, innocent people, anyone. I know this, because, well… I was one of them."

Sun blinked, incredulous. "Wait, what?"

"I… I was one of them. I was part of the White Fang, have been for most of my life, actually."

Silence. Sun eventually managed to find his voice. "But you… since when?"

"Not long after you left. You were my only friend back then, and without you there, I just…" They continued walking through the park, straying further and further away from the footpath. "The White Fang, it was different back then. It started off as a group, formed by the Faunus who could no longer just sit and watch as discrimination against the Faunus continued. And as tension between with humans escalated, the group expanded in size, until it became a full organisation."

Sun remained silent, wordlessly encouraging her to continue her tale. "We protested. We rallied under a single cause, for equality. We used words as our weapon, and leaned on each other for support in difficult times. We fought without violence, and for a while it seemed like it was working. More and more Faunus joined in and protested against the prejudice, and we gathered more sympathy from humans."

"I'm sensing a 'but' there somewhere."

Blake's smile was a sad one. "You're right. But then came the four-two-nine."

Sun closed his eyes. 'Four-two-nine' was a tragic turn of events, a large protest that came to an abrupt and bloody end when the riot troops, without warning, opened fire on hundreds of unarmed Faunus protesters en masse. The unexpected, brutal offensive approach the human government took was met with harsh backlash from both the humans and Faunus alike, and almost re-ignited the embers left behind in the wakes of the Faunus Rights Revolution. April 29th since then has been marked in the annals of history as one of the most violent massacre in the Third Age, and deepened the chasm between the two races. While another war was prevented, the tragedy proved to be a turning point for the once peaceful organisation.

"Then the leadership changed hands, and with it our strategy and approach. We knew words on their own had no power. We knew we couldn't simply discuss or bargain with the humans for our equality. That's when we finally realised, if we wanted our rights, we had to take them with our own hands," The world around her changed, and she could see the ghostly outlines of the past, the smoke and fire, and blood. That was also the first time she was shot, and as a seven-year-old that was the moment that she knew she never had any chance of being a normal child with a normal life.

"It started off small; theft, arson, vandalism, that sort of thing. But it wasn't enough, so we took it up a notch and took to raiding military gears and supplies, Dust, anything that could cripple the human government. And it worked, if only because they were afraid. Within a few years, what started off as a group of Faunus soon became a notorious crime syndicate, all armed to the teeth. Even then, it wasn't much of an improvement either."

"So what happened?"

Blake sighed. "It took me years to realise that this wasn't the kind of future I wanted for our people. I got fed up, so I left. That was months ago."

"Wait, hang on, that's when all that rumour about the White Fang disbanded floated around, wasn't it?" Sun asked.

"It wasn't a complete rumour, and yes. It was by pure coincidence that I chose to left not long before Atlas and Vale joined hands to take us- I mean, take them out. I don't know the exact details, but that's what I heard."

Sun whistled. "Talk about dodging a bullet there. But wait, then what about those three creeps from earlier?"

"I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if the organisation survived the storm. Back when I was still one of them, there were quite a few contingency plans made to prepare for the worst case scenarios. Safe houses, fake IDs, hidden supplies, that sort of thing. It's all too possible to think that some members went into hiding and kept low profiles until it was safe to rear their heads back up again. And given the prison outbreak incident from earlier, I'd say that's a probability."

"Shit. Tough sons of bitches. Uh, no offence."

"None taken. One of the many derogatory titles humans gave us was 'pests', and that's not without a good reason. We're pretty hard to kill," She smiled, though there was no humour behind it.

"Any idea why they're in Vale?"

"That's what I wanted to find out, before I got too careless and, well, you know how that went."

Blake finished with a sigh. As reluctant as she was with sharing her past, for some reason it felt like some of the weights on her shoulders were unloaded. Looking around she realised they were alone, tucked away in a secluded part of the park with tall bushes and thick trees.

"Can you promise you won't tell anyone? You're the only person I ever told about my past. And honestly, I'd like to keep it that way." Blake admitted.

"Promise. I tend to speak without thinking, but I never spill a secret. You can trust me on that."

Blake nodded. "Thanks."

"So, what's the plan now?"

Blake turned so her back faced Sun. "I still want to find out why they were here, and if the White Fang's truly involved, then what they're after in Vale."

"Whoa, time out! You can't be serious!" Sun crossed his arms. "Did you already forget that you almost got yourself killed?"

"I told you, I was careless and made a mistake," Blake shot back, glowering. "Now I know what I'm up against. I can take care of myself."

"Well, what if you're not? What if you end up getting mixed up in some deep shit you can't crawl out of?"

"I'm not going to blindly charge in like an idiot. I'm just going to find out what business the White Fang has in this city, that's all."

Sun snorted. "Yeah, and that turned out well, didn't it?"

Blake closed the gap between the two, teeth bared. "What's your problem, Sun?"

"That's my line! Why are you so keen on throwing yourself off a cliff? You know damn well better than to mess with those creeps!"

Blake wanted to yell at him. He didn't know her, he didn't know half the things she did. He just didn't understand. But when she saw his anger morph into worry, her own demeanour softened.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. It's just…"

"Me too. I-"

The two Faunus trailed off, looking at anywhere but each other. With a nervous cough Blake spoke. "Sun, maybe you're right. Only, this is something I just have to do. The White Fang, my past, it's all my own mess to clean up. I don't want to drag anyone else into it."

Sun inwardly groaned. Her plan was far too dangerous, but Blake wasn't going to budge an inch, either. "Fine. But who said you had to do it alone?"

"Sun," Blake warned.

"C'mon, wouldn't it be a lot better – and safer – if you had someone watching your back?"

"That's not-" She shook her head. "Sun, the only reason why I told you about my past was because it was the least I could do for you saving me, and you deserved to know just what kind of a person you risked your life to save, a criminal. Trust me, you don't want to be a part of this mess."

Sun's eyes hardened, though whether out of determination or stubbornness she couldn't tell. "No offence, but I already got myself involved in this muck the moment I stepped in to save your life. And since one of them got away, there's a good chance they'll know my face too. So honestly, it's not really your call to make on whether I tag along or not."

Blake met his gaze without flinching, and he responded in kind with a look, almost daring her to try and refute him. She knew he was right, though. "It'll be dangerous. Are you really sure you want to come with me?"

"Yeah."

Blake relented with a sigh. "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you," She dug into her pocket for her scroll, only to realise it wasn't there.

"Uh right, I forgot to tell you, your scroll's kind of, uh…" He reached for his own pocket, and took out a scroll, or what was left of it. Web-like cracks marred the device's glass panel, while its metal base showed signs of physical abuse. Suffice to say it was beyond repair.

"Thanks… I guess."

"Talk to Neptune, he's the guy with all the lien."

"Just like that?" Blake asked, unconvinced. To her knowledge, scrolls weren't cheap, and the one she used was a hand-me-down from an associate in Vale, since she left the organisation with nothing but Gambol Shroud and the clothes on her back. Working part-time as a 'messenger-slash-courier' for Junior wasn't exactly a high-paying job, either.

"Okay, maybe if you asked him _very_ nicely," Sun chuckled nervously.

Blake sighed, wondering if letting him tag along was really a good idea or not. Either way, it was going to be a long day.

* * *

For one Pyrrha Nikos, it was already starting to look like a long day. It was barely past twelve in the afternoon, and already it seemed as if the lessons were dragging on far longer than usual. She couldn't fully concentrate on the lecture, partly because of Blake, and partly due to Nora's feet incessantly tapping the floor to her right, looking mere seconds away from exploding.

Weiss' reaction was far more dignified, back straight and quietly taking notes, though Pyrrha didn't miss how the heiress' eyes subtly turned towards the clock on the wall quite frequently, chewing her lips as she quietly seethed when the clock hand moved too slow for her liking.

After what seemed like an eternity the bell rang, and the three Winterbournes bolted up from their seats almost simultaneously, leaving the lecture hall well before the other students had even finished packing their belongings.

"Did I ever mention how much I hate Mondays?" Was the first thing Nora said as they headed for their room. As soon as they barged in, their bags were haphazardly tossed onto their respective beds as the three girls quickly took off their school uniforms, changing into more casual clothes. Nora tightened the belt around her denim shorts, just as Pyrrha put on her slim jeans. Both wore hoodies, though Nora also threw on a baseball cap on her head. Weiss, as befitting her status, opted to change her 'combat dress' for a simpler yet equally elaborate variant, one with black buttons and frills in a predominantly white-themed ensemble.

There was a knock, and Nora opened it to see Ruby and the rest of her team, still in their uniforms.

"Too slow! Hurry up and get dressed, the airship's going to leave soon!" Startled by the sudden outburst the Regalities stood aside, allowing the irate Schnee to stride past them. Nora and Pyrrha shot them apologetic looks, though they too, asked the Regalities to pick up their pace, as transport between the academy and the city ran on strict schedules.

Shrugging, Ruby pushed her team into their room across the Winterbournes', though unlike the latter the process of getting dressed was a lot less seamless and more chaotic due to its co-ed status. It took them another fifteen minutes before they rushed towards the docking bay, with only a minute left before the departure.

"In here," Weiss ushered them into a modest-sized shuttle, with enough room for each of them to sit comfortably with legs out. The clamshell door closed, and as the vehicle shook during its lift, Jaune felt his gut flip, his motion sickness kicking in. He patted his pockets for the pill bottle, then remembered it was back in his dorm room.

"Jaune? Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked from his left. He shook his head, only to groan as the gesture made his nausea worse. "Jaune?"

"He's prone to motion sickness," Ren commented from the other end as he tossed the blonde a paper bag. "On one occasion he forgot to bring his pills, and there wasn't anything he could throw up in, so-"

"Ew!" Nora squirmed, inching away from Jaune.

"I thought we were never going to bring up the 'Double V' incident?" Yang frowned, before a wide smile formed on her face as she snapped her fingers. "Haha get it? 'Bring it up'?"

Jaune, Ruby, and Ren groaned, though for very different reasons. Pyrrha politely smiled, and Weiss shook her head dismissively as Nora gave the blonde a high-five.

Fortunately for the passengers, the ride was relatively short as the aircar landed on the docking bay on the central plaza of Arula district. Jaune, predictably, was the first to disembark, and vacated the contents of his stomach in the nearest trash bin.

Weiss wasn't impressed. "Just great. At this rate he'll be no better than a dead weight."

"Don't be so mean, Weiss. He can't help it," Ruby frowned as she patted her partner's back. "Just give him some time, he'll get better."

The heiress sneered, but dropped the argument as her scroll vibrated. A bespectacled man with greyed hair came into view on the screen. "Milady."

"Anton, have you found her yet?"

"Not yet, milady. The guards are still continuing their search. The local police have been informed as well."

"Good. Keep up the search. Inform me as soon as you find something."

"Yes ma'am," The screen went black.

"Who was that?" Nora asked.

"Schnee family butlers, and a few bodyguards assigned for my protection. Not that I need any," Weiss preened. "I've assigned them to scour the city for our wayward teammate's whereabouts."

"Any luck?" Yang shuffled forward.

Weiss had a sour look on her face. "Didn't you hear the phone call just now? They still haven't found her, and they've been at it since last Saturday."

"Vale _is_ a big city, though. It won't be easy finding a missing perso," Pyrrha stepped in before Yang could come up with a snarky comeback. "Don't worry, we'll find her if we keep looking."

"What if she doesn't want to be found?" All eyes turned to Jaune, and he shrank a little under the scrutiny. "What?"

"Explain," Weiss demanded, hands on her hips.

"Well, it's uh, y-you know what, forget I said anything, I spout whatever crap comes to mind, but you already knew that!" Jaune forced a laugh.

Weiss' frosty glare quickly made him clam up. "Explain," She repeated, more forcibly this time. "Now."

"It's just that, you said she wasn't answering to any of your calls, right?"

"So that automatically implies that she's deliberately avoiding us?" Nora piped in, a little angry. "What if she just, I dunno, lost her scrolls or something?"

Jaune held up his hands. "Hey, that's not what I meant. But even if she did lose her scroll, what's stopping her from using public communication services? She has your numbers, and in the unlikely scenario that she _doesn't_ , she could always call Beacon."

"Maybe there's a reason why she didn't. Or couldn't, or whatever."

Jaune shrugged. "She's your teammate, you'd know her better than we would."

Both Weiss and Nora fell silent. "Let's split up and keep looking. We've still got a lot of grounds left to cover, and we don't exactly have a lot of time on our hands." Pyrrha hastily interjected.

"Of course. If anyone finds any info about Blake, let the rest of the group know immediately. The last shuttle leaves at ten pm, so return here by then, unless one of us find Blake, whichever comes first," Weiss concluded.

The company of seven then split up into smaller groups. Weiss set off on her own, ignoring Ruby as she tried to ask if she wanted a company. Nora looped her arm around Ren's as she dragged him away, while Yang and her pouting sister headed in the opposite direction, before splitting up on a crossroad.

Jaune remained on the plaza, completely lost. This was only his second visit to the city, and his first time in the city was mostly a few hours of running after the Winterbournes as they frantically searched its labyrinthine layouts for Blake.

A hand lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "Jaune?"

"Oh, hey."

The redhead chuckled. "Feeling better?"

"I don't have anything left to throw up, so yeah," Jaune smiled wryly.

Pyrrha made a face. "That's… great."

"Sorry, I'll spare you the details next time."

"Next time, just bring your medications with you, okay? I don't know what Yang meant by 'Double V', and something tells me I don't want to find out," Pyrrha nudged playfully.

Jaune gave her an eye-roll. "Yeah, trust me, you don't want to."

For the next few hours they walked around the city, looking for Blake. Though she often tagged along with her group when both team got together for social reasons, she more often than not simply hung back, only giving her input when directly spoken to. Given that, Jaune asked Pyrrha about who Blake was as a person and a teammate.

"Well, she really likes fish. I've never seen her being so enthusiastic about anything else. Oh, and coffee, too. She's got her own collection of different brands of coffee, and she rarely ever goes to bed without a cup. Given her insomnia, she really should know better," She clucked her tongue.

"Insomnia?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha nodded sadly. "She tosses and turns in her bed at night. Sometimes she just flat out gives up and leaves out through the window."

Jaune quirked a brow. "Strange. Any idea where she goes?"

She shook her head. "No, none of us do, and Blake never really told us when we asked. But every time she left, she was always back in the room by morning. This is the first time she's been gone for days. She's not answering her scroll, either. Every time we called, the signal just went flat, almost as if her scroll's turned off or something."

Pyrrha sighed as she rubbed her eyes, and Jaune was able to take a good look at her face. Dark rings under her eyes were barely visible through the light layer of make-up the Mistralian Champion wore, her lips drawn to a thin line. Blake's absence must've unsettled her team a lot more than he thought.

Looking around, he spotted a wooden plaque hanging on chains, with an image of an open book carved on its panel on the opposite side of the streets. Nudging Pyrrha, he led them towards the book store, a faint jingle of a bell welcoming them in to a well-lit, moderate-sized interior, shelves filled with paperbacks set in an orderly structure. Behind the counter on the far end of the store, and a burly man with a beige shirt looked up from a book, his sharp yellow eyes zeroing in on them as they walked up to the man. The unusual colour of his pupils wasn't the only thing Jaune took notice.

' _Nice sideburns!'_ Jaune grinned without realising, until a sharp look from the muscular man quickly straightened his expression.

"Can I help you?" The man asked in gruff but not unkind voice.

"Um, uh…"

"We're looking for a friend, and we were wondering if you could help us find her," Pyrrha said with a touch of plea as she walked up to the counter.

"Alright. Give me the details," The shopkeeper grunted.

"She's about half a head shorter than me, has a long black hair and wears a black ribbon on her head. She also has yellow eyes," Pyrrha added.

Something flashed across the man's face, before it disappeared just as quickly, leaving Jaune to wonder if he had imagined it. "No, I don't think I've seen anyone like that around here."

"Oh…" Deflated, Pyrrha turned and left, and Jaune followed after her, worried. He took a glance over his shoulder, and the shopkeeper watched them leaving, his eyes narrowing in suspicion just as the door swung close.

"What was all that about?" Jaune muttered to himself, before he faced Pyrrha. Her arms folded, she looked more upset than ever. "You alright?"

Pyrrha took a big shuddering breath before she replied. "No. No, I'm not. We spent hours, days, running around to look for her, and all for what? Her scroll's dead, and not once has she contacted us, as if she doesn't care whether we're worried sick."

Jaune said nothing, stunned by how bitter that last part came out. Pyrrha, unfazed by his lack of response, simply carried on. "I don't know which is worse; the fact that Blake didn't contact us even once because she didn't care enough to, or that she couldn't reach us because something happened to her."

Pyrrha turned her back to him, and Jaune wondered whether there was something more to the story that upset Pyrrha than just Blake's unexplained absence. As the redhead hugged herself and lightly shivered, Jaune couldn't help but feel compelled to do something, anything, to help her out.

He knew he wasn't the most empathic person around. Already he could picture himself spouting some dumb, insensitive crap and only make the situation worse. But even so, he couldn't just stand there and do nothing. This was Pyrrha, a girl who not only agreed to train him, but also went out of her way to be his friend, simply because she wanted to. Pyrrha may have not known it, but that simple act alone almost made him cry. The least he could do was to at least try to comfort her.

Pyrrha felt a hand on her shoulder, and that made her turn around to see Jaune, who gave her a nervous yet firm smile. "Jaune?"

"Listen, so uh, I know I'm not exactly suited for this- I mean, I'm not that good at this sort of thing- no, wait, that came out wrong. Damn it!"

"Jaune?"

He took a deep breath, let it out, and looked her straight in the eye. "Something's bothering you, and it's not just about this whole 'Blake gone missing', right? I-I know it might not sound much, coming from a guy like me, but… if you ever need to vent, or, or talk, or whatever… I'm here, okay?"

Her throat tightened, and for some reason Pyrrha felt an irresistible urge to cry. It was all she could do to keep her posture in check, though couldn't help but let a few tears escape. "Thank you. I…"

Jaune nodded. "You're my friend, Pyrrha. After everything you've done for a guy like me, the least I can do is at least listen. And that's not just me either, that goes for all of us. Including Blake."

Pyrrha sighed. "I don't know…"

"Come on. You know her better than I do, would she really be that heartless to just disregard your feelings?" Pyrrha still looked uncertain. "Look, at the very least let's just focus on finding her first, 'kay? Then we can hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions. I think she deserves that much, don't you think?"

"…You're right." Pyrrha admitted with a watery smile.

"Of course I am. Now let's get going, the sooner we find Blake, the sooner you'll feel better." With a grin Jaune nudged her by the shoulder, and walked ahead first. Pyrrha stood where she was, watching Jaune's retreating back with a thoughtful look. She never expected Jaune to reach out to her first, willing to risk making a fool of himself all to comfort her when she least expected it. All the same, she was glad he did.

"Pyrrha, come on!" Jaune called.

"Okay!" Wiping her tears she smiled as she hastened to his side, feeling lighter than before.

* * *

As the clock hand hit seven in the evening, the street lamps outside the streets flashed to life, rows of small beacons in the mist of dusk. The once busy streetways petered out as most people headed back to their homes to retire for the night, leaving a few walking about, with an odd beggar or few huddling in the corner of alleyways or beneath the streetlights.

Tukson frowned as one such beggar, wrapped up in stained bed cloth from head to toe, chose to seek shelter right outside his shop, though made no attempt to drive them away. This part of commercial or 'Aurum' district was a hotspot for beggars, however small they were in numbers. The less he had to do with them, the better.

He closed the blinds, made sure the door to the store was locked and the alarm set, before heading further in through the backdoor, to his apartment. The living facilities, for the sake of convenience, was conjoined to his bookshop, separated by a simple door. A simple wooden door on one side, the other with over a dozen different chains and padlocks installed on it. The electronic lock was just a front, designed to trigger alarms whenever something, or someone, attempted to bypass it. The hidden security didn't stop at the door; the short corridor that connected his flat with the bookstore had in-built detection laser system, with the sprinklers on the ceiling releasing not water, but neural toxin in gaseous form, aiming to incapacitate, rather than outright kill. The apartment itself didn't skimp on the home security, with various detection and neutralisation systems hidden in plain view. To anyone sane, such measures would've been deemed as borderline paranoid, though given his history, it felt more than justified. The daily ritual of having to disarm and rearm all the alarm systems was a pain, but he was just glad they were there.

An uninvited guest making herself at home, was something he neither expected nor appreciated. "What did I say about sneaking in without knocking first?"

"Technically I did. I sent you a message earlier this morning." Blake said.

"I told you to wait until I let you in myself."

"And I didn't listen. We've been through this before, let it go," Blake rolled her eyes as Tukson growled in annoyance. His nose caught a whiff of something in the air, and he pointed accusingly at her.

"Get off my couch, Belladonna. You reek like yesterday's garbage. Been digging through the trash again?"

"In case you've forgotten, that's how I found you the first day we met. And it's not me," Blake snarked as she stood up, before she pointed at something past him. "It's him."

Tukson followed the trail of the direction she was pointing at, and it landed on a young man with sun-bleached hair that stood as stark contrast to his toned, tanned skin. He was lazily dozing off on another couch, and Tukson saw the long hairy appendage that swished around, the tail disappearing into the boy's backside.

Ever the gracious host, he kicked the couch hard enough to rattle the furniture, startling the sleeping Faunus. With a sputter the monkey Faunus rose to his feet, and Tukson gave him a once-over before whirling to Blake again. "You brought in a stray."

"His name's Sun, an acquaintance. And don't worry, we won't be staying long. We just came for the intel," Sun, at last fully awoke, grumbled from the rude wake-up call.

"You're serious, then?" Tukson took a seat on the couch previously occupied by Sun, who scurried out of the way to find his place next to Blake. "You really think you can take on your former organisation members in a fight? All of them?"

"We're not going to fight them, just observe them. Find out what they're up to. Though seems like you already know something," Blake commented, leaning back.

Tukson crossed his arms. "Not quite. All I've got is just a speculation. I couldn't find out what exactly they're doing here in Vale, but I do know they're operating out in the Vulcan district port, the western-most one. Whatever they're up to, that's where you'll find out. Provided they don't catch you and kill you first."

"I'll be fine," Blake deadpanned.

Tukson turned to Sun, who remained quiet until now. "And him? What's his story?"

"Someone who saved her ass once," Sun merely raised a brow in amusement as Blake looked away, shaking her head. "And I'm tagging along for the ride, 'cause someone needs to watch her back."

"It's a long story," Blake sighed when Tukson shot her a confused look. "Anyways, mark the place on the map. Neither of us are familiar with the area around here, and we'd rather not head in blind, not unless we get a rough idea of what to expect there."

"Give me your scroll," Blake complied, and Tukson marked the spot on the map, before tossing it back to Blake. "This isn't the one I gave you. What did you do with it?"

"Long story," Blake repeated.

"I've got time."

"But wedon't. The sooner we move in, the likelier we'll stumble on to something. Besides, they're already aware of us, and we wasted enough time as it is."

"Hang on," Tukson interrupted. "This port they're in? That's one of the major points in which trading shipments from other kingdoms are unloaded and processed. They've been holed up in there for over two weeks, and nothing major really happened."

"So? What are they after?"

"From what I picked up, looks like they're bringing in some big Dust shipments all the way from Atlas."

"Dust?" Blake muttered. "How big are we talking about, here?"

"Schnee Dust Company big. There's been a delay in shipment, probably explains why the White Fang has been loitering about until now. Can't imagine why else they'd go through all the trouble to sneak under the local police department's nose for so long."

"Guess we'll just have to find out. How long would it take for us to get there?"

"It's south-west of here, twenty to thirty minutes by road, give or take," Reaching for his pocket, he drew something small and silver, and threw it to Blake, who caught the metallic object in her hand, which revealed itself as a key.

"That's the key for my old ride. I won't be needing it anymore, not where I'm going. Figures it'll be better off in your hands instead."

"You're leaving?" Blake asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Been meaning to for a while, just decided to speed up the plan now that our old friends are hanging about in the neighbourhood," Tukson snorted.

"So why didn't you leave then? Why stick around?" Sun asked.

"Because I don't like leaving with debts hanging over my head," Tukson said as he pointedly looked at Blake.

"Debts? What's he on about?"

"It's… a long story. In short, I saved his life a couple of times back when we were both still part of the organisation. He worked in the intel while I worked as an Infiltrator. He was stationed in Vale as an undercover agent of sorts, to gather information and relay them back to the main base."

"Until shit hit the fan and Vale-Atlas alliance forces decided to bring the monsoon season right on our doorstep. Thought the organisation was dead, and I was getting used to settling in, so I stopped reporting in. Guess that didn't sit right with the jackasses who were too damn stubborn to die," Tukson piped in bitterly. He wasn't exactly warming up to the idea of having to run for his life, just when he was making a new life for himself here in Vale.

Her eyes softened in sympathy. "After I left the organisation I came to Vale. I didn't have anywhere to go at first, so the first week was… rough. Then I found out he was still here, so I went to him for help."

"I had a spare room, so I lent it to her, on the condition that she did her share of the chore around here, except cooking," Tukson gave her a condescending grin. "Replacing all those pots was a pain in the ass."

"Thanks, old man," Blake replied bitingly. "So, any place you've got in mind?"

The puma tapped his chin in thought. "Not really. Just as long as I'm gone when the organisation start making noise, any place should be fine."

"Maybe I can help?" Sun pitched in.

"Sun?"

"If you're not too fussy, try Vacuo. There's a city, Irudt, right next to the sea. Once you're there, look for a guy named Vega, no surnames. If anyone asks what business you have with him, tell them, ahem, 'Sunny Wooky' sent you."

Both former White Fang operatives stared at Sun, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"This guy, Vega, he knows me. Drop the title to him, he'll get you sorted out and get you settled." Sun babbled with a red face.

Tukson eyed him warily. "Why?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to help. You took care of Blake, so I'm just doing you a favour," When neither of the White Fang agents spoke, he threw his hands in frustration. "Look, just do whatever you want, I don't care."

"No, it's… hell, thanks."

"Yeah, sure."

"Well, that takes care of the destination. When will you be moving out?" Blake asked.

"As soon as I can. Just need to wait to hear from my contact for my ID. I can't leave until I get a new name and maybe a new face. Otherwise I'll just be leaving bread crumbs for the White Fangs to follow, and we can't have that," Tukson answered.

Sun checked his scroll. "It's getting late, let's head out."

"Right," They stood as Tukson remained seated and watched them leave.

"Don't get yourself killed, Belladonna."

"I'll try."

Tukson grunted. "Troublesome woman. You set up all this security shit, you better come back to take them down before I leave. The last thing I want is to have the authorities knocking on my door for illegal hardware installation."

Blake waved him off as she led Sun down into the basement, which acted as a garage of sorts. Two cars were parked side by side, though one was slighter larger than the other, also filled with boxes in the back. Taking that as the vehicle Tukson was planning on using to move his possessions, she picked the smaller one, the key fitting in perfectly. She took the driver's seat while Sun strapped himself in on the passenger seat next to her. "So, you know how to drive this thing?"

"Not really. But I've been taught to drive military grade vehicles before, back when I was in the organisation. The controls shouldn't be that different," To prove her point faint blue light flooded the car compartment as she started the engine, the battery core comprised of specialised Dust crystals working in tandem with the complex machinery parts in its vicinity. The garage shutter slid upward into the open roadway, and with a screech of tires they drove off.

* * *

The beggar looked up as a sound of metal shutters opening in the vicinity, and watched as a car drove out and past, disappearing past the buildings as it took a left turn. The beggar sat for a few minutes, then once the coast was clear, stood up and left, leaving the stained bed sheet pool under her feet. Though it was night, the air was warm enough for her to walk around in her usual attire of white and olive undershirt that covered her 'womanly assets' and little else. She took out her scroll and dialled a number, Mercury's smug face popping up on the screen seconds later.

"S'up sexy?" He lazily smirked, barely audible over the beating of drums and blaring music in the background.

"What are you doing?"

"Clubbing. What does it look like I'm doing?" He turned his head and shouted at someone off-screen, before hysterically laughing and focused his attention back to Emerald. "Em, you've gotta check this place out! They're giving out free drinks after I dropped the boss-lady's name, and these ladies' got racks like you would _not_ believe-"

"Ugh, Merc-"

"Hey, but don't worry, I'd prefer yours over any lady's any day," Mercury slurred, and Emerald could see the rosy tints on his cheeks. The club's red and violet backlights made it difficult to tell.

"Are you _drunk_?! What the hell, Merc! If Cinder found out, she's gonna kill you!"

"Calm your tits, Em, I'm not _that_ stupid. I'm here 'cause Cinder told me to _negotiate_ with the guy in charge here. I let her know things were sorted down here, and she told me to go nuts. And being the good, obedient little manservant I am, I followed her commands to the letter," Someone handed him a pint of frothy alcohol, and Mercury took it with eager hands, laughing all the while. "Here's to easy bitches and Emerald's tits! Cheers!"

That was it. If Cinder wasn't going to kill him, _she_ was going to skin him alive. "Merc…" She growled in warning.

"My bad, my bad. We're still good for tonight, yeah?" Mercury added with no small amount of sleaziness.

"Oh gee. My panties are on fire," Emerald drawled without a trace of humour. This time she was definitely going to make him sleep on the couch and make sure he stayed there for the night.

"You know you want me," He winked.

"Right, whatever. Listen, I've got something important to tell you, so get your ass out of that shithole."

"What? But it's just getting good! There's like these twins, and they're gonna put on some kind of a show-"

" _Now,_ Merc."

"Fine, give me a sec," With a loud, petulant groan Mercury stood up and pocketed his scroll. All the lights went out, then spotlights were focused on the centre stage in the middle of the club dance floor, where two young girls, twins, in matching dresses walked up in sync. The catcalls and lust-addled cheers of the crowd escalated when the twins made a show of slowly and seductively undressed themselves, even throwing pieces of their clothing to the eager audience.

Mercury spared the show one last, longing look, before he excused himself outside, past the bouncers and the line of people who still waited to be let in. He picked a quiet place some distance away from the club, and once he was certain no one else was in the area, took his scroll out and re-established the call line.

"'Kay, I'm good, so what's up? Whatever you've got to tell better be important."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Remember the guy those White Fang assholes asked us to find? Yeah, he's here in Vale alright, I even found out his little hidey hole."

Mercury blinked, before he scoffed. "You dragged me out here to tell me _that?_ Fuck, I missed the strip show from insanely hot goth chicks for _this crap_?"

"Can you at least pretend to be serious? This is important!" Emerald all but yelled.

"Fine fine. Where are you now?"

"I'm uploading my location on your scroll," The map came up on his screen, and a red dot blipped on a street not far from where he currently was. "Better get here fast. The sooner this guy dies, the better I'll be able to sleep at night."

"Don't I already do that for you?"

"You're impossible."

"No, I'm irresistible. There's a difference."

"That's not- For god's sake, just get your ass over here!" Without another word she terminated the call, and the assassin pocketed his scroll with a chuckle.

Twenty minutes of walking later, he found Emerald leaning against a wall, under a wooden plaque with a picture of an open book carved on its surface hanging by chains.

"'Tuckson's book trade', huh?" Mercury mumbled. "So that's the name he took when he left. Fucker."

"Took you long enough," Emerald sneered.

"Yeah, I know you couldn't wait to see me in person."

"You wish. Now shut up and follow me, I want to get this done and over with."

"Uh, we're not going through the front door?" Mercury asked when she walked past the store door.

Emerald shook her head. "He's got security alarms and defence measures set up all over the damn place. The usual detection cameras are just the tip of the iceberg," she took out a device that resembled a typical scroll, though this one was thicker and bigger. On its screen was a visual feed, full of neon green lines that seemed to zig zag in no particular order. It took him a little longer to realise that the mess of said green lines were in fact, outlines of the structure.

"The scanners picked it up. See those red dots? That's all those traps he set up. Laser detection system, toxic gas ventilation, fuck, this is one paranoid son of a bitch. Thank god the place isn't scan-shielded, otherwise this would've gone down the drain a lot faster."

"No shit. So what do we do now? Disarming them's gonna take forever, and it's not like we can just charge in, guns blazing."

"Luckily for us, there happens to be another way," Emerald stopped before what appeared to be a driveway that led to a blank wall. Planting something on the wall, she fiddled around with her scroll, and was rewarded with a screech of metal grinding against metal as the wall parted in two halves and folded inward, inviting the two into what seemed like a garage.

"Ladies first," Emerald jeered.

"Why, thank you," Mercury snapped back.

It was a short walk up the stairs, past the door and into a sparse kitchen conjoined to a lounge, with only one occupant inside.

"Belladonna, that you? Left something behind again? I swear-" A gruff voice neared and their target came into view, a hulking man with yellow eyes that gleamed dangerously at the two strangers before him. "Who the hell-?"

"I got us in here, Merc. Now it's your turn."

The assassin grinned, cracking his knuckles. "With pleasure."

Tukson leapt forward, his fingers sharpened with claws and fangs bared in a snarl. He took a swipe at Mercury, who ducked and kneed him hard in the abdomen. The traitor doubled over in pain, and didn't see the follow-up kick that struck him hard on the side of his head, powerful enough to rip his head straight off his shoulders and send it flying where it splattered against a wall, leaving a trail of blood in its trajectory.

"Holy fuck! Robot legs. Are. Fucking. Beasts!" Mercury whooped.

"Yeah, great, whatever. Find something, like a container or something we can use to put the head in. They did say they wanted to see some evidence," Emerald reached for the cupboards, only to be forcibly turned by Mercury, who somehow managed to get up close without her noticing. "What the hell are you doing now?"

"Our job's done. So I think a little _celebration_ is in order," Mercury muttered right next to her ear, making her shiver. And to think she was getting used to his approaches, too.

"We-we have to report in. We can't just- Not here!"

"We can. And they can wait," Mercury interrupted her with a growl, and pushed her down to the floor none too gently. Whatever protest Emerald had on her lips died when Mercury shoved his tongue down her throat, and then she decided to just go with it, since she wasn't opposed to the idea herself.

* * *

"So what's with the 'Sunny Wooky business?" Blake asked out of nowhere, after five minutes of silent driving through the highway.

"You just had to ask, didn't you?"

"Pardon me for being curious," Blake smirked.

"You cat Faunus and your need to know everything," Sun rolled his eyes. "Reminds me of a guy I used to know. Always poking his nose into other people's business and all that."

"That's nice. And don't change the subject."

"Fine. It's a nickname my stepdad gave me. Happy?"

"Stepdad?" Blake asked. "Is he the 'Vega' person you mentioned earlier?"

"That's him, yeah. Bit of a hardass, but knows when to crack a joke too, although half the time it's only him that laughs," There was a hint of nostalgia as he mentioned his foster parent, and a small smile graced his face. "He's a decent bloke, and I only give my nicknames to people I like, so he'll help your friend out."

"You've never met Tukson before," Blake pointed out.

"But he helped you out. That's good enough for me," Sun shrugged.

Blake had nothing to say to that, so continued to drive in silence. Minutes passed until Sun spoke up again. "So, what are you gonna do once we get there? See for yourself what the White Fang's cooking up here in Vale, then what?"

"I'll record everything I see on the scroll, then show the evidence to the authorities. I'll leave it for the Valean Council, if I have to," She slammed her foot on the accelerator and overtook a car in front of her, quietly swearing when it was going far too slow for her liking.

"You're dead set on this, huh? What exactly do you get out of all this?"

"I told you before, I'm going to stop them, and I'll start by exposing their crimes for everyone to see," Blake spoke as she glared ahead.

Sun leaned back, quietly observing his childhood friend. There was rage and determination, sure, but he felt that there was something else buried deeper underneath. Desperation? Guilt? He couldn't exactly point a finger as to what exactly he was looking for, but one thing he felt certain of was that she had other motives for her desire to stop her former organisation and their activities.

Briefly he wondered why he was going out of his way to help this girl in the first place. Strangely enough, he didn't have any answer for that one, either. Nor did he have time to ponder about it, as they were nearing their destination.

The car swerved left and took a path that split from the main highway, to a long stretch of road that had warehouses and storage buildings on either sides. As they got out of the car, the salty breeze of the sea greeted them, chilling them despite the warm nighty air. Unlike the more populated parts of the city, only a few street lamps stood erect, providing only a small amount of illumination and casting the rest of the scenery in inky darkness. Sun fumbled as he slapped on a pair of night vision goggles he 'acquired' from Neptune's inventory earlier, while Blake unstrapped her Gambol Shroud from her back, safety switched off. "Ready?"

Sun gave her a thumbs up, and she smiled a little. "Sun, just in case something goes wrong… I just want to say, thank you."

"Hey, none of that, you make it sound like we're gonna die here or something."

"We won't, but you never know. Either way, I wanted to say it."

"Y-yeah, no worries, you're welcome and all that," Sun replied, flustered.

They strayed from the main road as they were far too open and exposed. Instead, they shuffled around the constructions, noticing how most, if not all of them, were empty and abandoned. All signs of life and activity was centred around the harbour, behind the battered and worn fence with tangled barbed wires, with two men in masks standing watch in front of the entryway.

The two Faunus slipped behind a warehouse and scaled up the built-in ladder, leading them all the way up the top. Lying flat on their stomachs, they cautiously peeked over the rim of the roof. "They're White Fang, alright. And they don't look like they'll just let us walk in, either," Sun commented, eyeing the automatic rifles both watchmen carried.

"Only two guards on watch duty? And the fence is a mess. There are so many openings, I don't know if they're getting sloppy, or if they're just confident no one else would ever find them here," Blake muttered as she scanned the layout. There were no other guards on patrol duty save for the two, and the way they were positioned made it difficult for anyone from the other side of the fence to take notice if the two guards just so happened to disappear.

"Wait here," She muttered, carefully getting up to her feet before she leapt off the roof, landing with barely a sound. Closing her eyes she focused, willing the Aura flowing around her to bend to her will, before part of it split off from her, suspended in mid-air. When she opened her eyes, her doppleganger stared back, awaiting orders.

' _Distract them,'_ Blake commanded mentally. The clone, with a jerk of her/it's head, darted out of her sight, and into the periphery of the two guards, not long enough for them to identify her, but long enough to show them glimpses of an intruder in the vicinity. With a confused grunt the two crept forward, cautious, their rifles loaded, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"There! She's there!" One of the two yelled when he caught a glimpse of Blake's ephemeral body double as it raced past out of their sight. Both had their eyes on the spot they last found her, completely unaware of a presence creeping behind them.

' _Gotcha.'_

The first watchmen died with a blade jutting out of his torso, the sound of his body hitting the ground alerting his fellow guard, though the last thing he saw was a blur of black that sailed over his head, with cold steel leaving trails of fire along his neck.

Blake was busy searching their bodies when Sun finally caught up with her, a disturbed look on his face as he watched her digging through their pockets. "Shit… Did you have to kill them?"

"Actually yes. If I didn't, they would've alerted the rest, and I couldn't let that happen," Blake was eerily calm as she explained, not sparing him a glance as she took the rifles from their corpses, along with a couple of magazines they had on them.

The way how she effortlessly manipulated the situation to suit her will, and the lack of hesitation as she ended their lives, the impact of the realisation that the girl before him had killed before was beginning to truly dawn on him. He may not have been completely innocent in that regard, the two Infiltrators he killed being the most recent case, but even then it was out of self-defence. Never has he raised arms against another fellow Faunus or human being out of malicious intents, and never without a fleeting thought of 'what if's' before he took their lives. Blake, on the other hand, almost seemed like she didn't care.

"Something wrong?"

Sun snapped out his stupor, before he managed a shaky reply. "Nothing."

"Alright, then. C'mon, we're getting close," She rose to her feet as she finished her looting, pocketing a few metallic objects he identified as grenades. When she offered him one of the two rifles, he shook his head, and the two sneaked further inside.

The harbour was deceptively large compared to what its narrow entryway implied. Both old and new boxcars were stacked on top of another like toy blocks, wooden crates bearing the Schnee symbol were taped and strapped close dotted the area, and scurrying between them were the Faunus in matching uniforms, the red White Fang insignia imprinted on the back of their armour like a brand.

"Okay, so we know they're White Fang. So just exactly what are they up to?" Sun asked no one in particular. Like an unspoken reply to his confusion, harsh gale suddenly blew upon the harbour, the whirring of engine rotor heralding a VTOL aircraft landed on the harbour. The hatch slid open, and out tumbled several men and women, all of them bound.

"My god, are they the pilots?" Blake gasped.

Sun peered at the Schnee snowflake emblem on the front of their identical uniforms, as well as the mark painted on the aircraft they were tossed out of. "Dunno, but they're definitely working for SDC."

As the bound men and women scrambled to their feet, more White Fang soldiers stepped out, leading them in the front a sharply-dressed man in white button-up trench coat and slicked back orange hair, with a black bowler hat on top.

"Wait, I know him, he appeared on the news before."

"Roman Torchwick. One of Remnant's most wanted criminal," Blake hissed, taking out her scroll and began recording. "What's he doing here?"

The two continued to observe, and one of the Faunus, easily the largest and the bulkiest of the bunch, pushed his way through. "You're late, human," The big Faunus sneered.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" The criminal stalked up close to the Faunus, unfazed by the disadvantage in physical proportion. The fact that Roman had a gun pushed against his throat certainly helped get his point across.

"N-nothing, nothing at all."

"Sorry, didn't hear that. What did you say?"

"Nothing, sir!"

"That's better!" Roman clapped the Faunus on the shoulder, before he pulled the trigger. One of the captured SDC worker screamed when the Faunus dropped dead right in front of her eyes, while others gasped.

Raising his head, he turned to face the audience. "Listen up, you animals! I'm far more important than all of you could ever hope to be! I'm the reason why you animals aren't rotting away in some slum like the trash you are, _I_ am the one who made all this possible! Me! Your pathetic revolution is made real because _I_ said so! Got that!"

The White Faunus soldiers grumbled, but no one dared to argue. Sensing the downtrodden atmosphere, Roman twirled his cane, a sick smile on his face. "Now, come on, cheer up! You've all got work to do, and all this moody crap's pissing me off. How about a little break?"

He strode up to one of the SDC workers, a woman, who screamed and struggled as he pulled her up to her feet by her hair. With a laugh he pushed her into a nearest White Fang soldier, who was more than eager to sling her over the shoulder, before disappearing into a warehouse, door closed.

"NO! KELLY!" One of the male worker shouted, only to be silenced when Roman jabbed the tip of his cane into his mouth, before he pulled the trigger. The man's face exploded in a shower of gore, and the remaining captives all huddled together, crying, whimpering.

"Pfffft holy crap! Did you see that? His head just went ppbbbbrrtt!" Roman guffawed uncontrollably, oblivious to the fact that he was the only one who found the situation even remotely humorous. "Anyways, have fun!"

The White Fang soldiers shared a hesitant look, before some of the braver ones stepped forward and grabbed a captive each for themselves. A few, like the first soldier, dragged the women with them to elsewhere, while the rest worked out their stress by using helpless humans as punching bags.

Blake gritted her teeth as Sun looked away, vacating the contents of his stomach not-so-quietly. Not that anyone would've noticed, what with the feral cries and screams that bounced all too loudly in her head. When Sun rejoined her, she noted how pale he looked.

"You alright?"

He choked back a sob. "No, fuck no."

She nodded grimly. "Do you see it now? Just what kind of criminals the White Fang has become? That's why I left. That's why they have to be stopped."

"That guy, Roman Torchwick, did you say? He needs to be stopped. No," His eyes hardened, any traces of uncertainty that lingered all gone. "He needs to fucking die."

"He will. First, we get this footage to Vale authorities. They'll take appropriate actions for this," Blake snarled, and saved the video recording on her scroll. "They'll have to."

Sun nodded, still glaring daggers at the psychotic human as he barked orders to the idle soldiers. He vaguely recalled Roman Torchwick labelled as a ruthless killer on news, though to see it with his own eyes, the description the media saw fit to give the criminal just didn't do his cruelty justice. Hell, and he thought he saw everything, given how Vacuo was a breeding ground for crime and injustice.

His plan of accompanying Blake back to the city to leave the evidence all came to a chilling halt when something cold and metallic probed him in the back.

"Turn around, very slowly."

* * *

Yeah, given the light tone of the past few chapters, I thought some more evil would be a nice change to balance it out. Bite me.

On a more serious note, I don't endorse or encourage violence in any shape or form. Sadly, not everyone thinks the same. Any readers who are easily put off by this sort of thing, well, fifteen chapters in and if you still haven't figured out this story was going to be dark, then I don't know what to say to you.

In response to this one guest reviewer - I appreciate your criticism, and you have a point with some of your arguments. But I'd rather no one was 'forced' to read this story. It won't change how I write my story, of course.


	16. Act 2: Chapter 7

**ACT 2: One Step Forward**

* * *

"… _Some are gifted with unique abilities inherent to each individual, also known as Semblance, while others do not. And yes, it does seem to instil the idea of making certain individuals more special than others, which was the main cause behind many prejudices against those who did not. Of course, like many kinds of discrimination this had many negative impacts on society in the past, and while much of it has faded with the passing years, as the saying goes, 'Old prejudices die hard', or something like that._

" _The notion of superiority and the implications that follows are, in more ways than one, detrimental. Yes, Semblance is a unique characteristic, but they do not necessarily empower one any more than others without one. At least, not without some measure of self-discipline and control. Activation of Semblance requires a certain amount of Aura, different to each individual, so reckless reliance on Semblance can easily burn through Aura, leaving the 'caster' in a vulnerable state, so to speak, leaving them wide open to attacks that could mortally injure them or worse, kill them. Control and mastery, as such, is important._

" _On the subject of Semblance, let's review them briefly, shall we? Old categorisation, also called the Oum's Law, tended to divide Semblance to two major categories; the 'caster' class and the 'wielder' class. To put it in a classic RPG terms, 'caster' class would be 'active' skills, while the 'wielder' would be 'passive' skills. Yes, I'm a gamer, bite me. Caster category of Semblance included abilities that are typically manifested through manipulation of Aura into a tangible form of energy, which is then expelled outward from the source, or the body. Wielder category, however, follows similar pattern of Aura manipulation, though instead of expelling them, it is retained around the Hunter, be it external around the body, or internal or innate, of which the energy isn't visible, only the effect._

" _To some extent this system of classification still holds true - even if there are new theories that are being published that may not agree to this system - and these two categories are further divided into their own sub-categories, but the bell's about to ring, so I'll save that for another time. Dismissed."_

-Seminar, _'Aura and Semblance'_ , Professor Peach

* * *

"Run!"

Sun didn't need to be told twice, and ran like his ass was on fire, trying very hard not to look over his shoulder to see how many guns were pointed at them. Bullets whizzed past him, a few grazing him as they nearly hit him. One the rounds found its way on his shoulder, and another nabbed him at the back of his knee. He would've stumbled then and there, but Blake was quick to act and pulled him up.

"Thanks," Sun breathed.

"You're welcome," Blake replied, before a stray bullet struck her on the neck, sending her sprawling on the ground. She recovered quickly, and with a snap of her hand had the Gambol Shroud in her grip, and pulled the trigger, returning the favour when a few grunts hit the ground, blood oozing from new holes in their bodies.

"Here!" Blake shouted and dragged Sun behind the nearest boxcar, barely avoiding bullets that punched through the metal plates of which they took cover behind. It wasn't much of a barrier, but it gave them a little reprieve to catch their breaths.

' _Thank fuck for Auras,'_ Sun thought. Still, it was by no means flawless, and he wasn't sure how many more bullets his Aura could eat up before it gave up on him. And there were only two of them, two against god-knew-how-fucking-many terrorist scumbags, pinned down under constant fire. He didn't like the odds one bit.

"Got any plans?" Sun asked as Blake rummaged through her pockets.

Blake nodded. "Get ready to run."

Before he could ask she pulled out a flashbang, took off the pin, and lobbed it over the boxcar. A few seconds later there was a loud bang, and a cacophony of startled cries followed.

"Now!" Blake yelled as she broke into a sprint, Sun right behind her heels. Sneaking a glance behind his back, most of their armed pursuers were stumbling, clutching their eyes in pain. The exit was within sight, though barred by several White Fang guards who snarled and drew their weapons.

"Move!" Blake roared, shifting her Gambol Shroud to its blade form. Sun also unclasped his Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang from his back and assembled them in their staff form, its shape retained by powerful magnetic joints, strong enough to maintain its form even when used to strike a fully grown adult Faunus hard enough to knock him off his feet. In a practiced move he disengaged the locking mechanisms and the staff divided into two, and shot another White Fang soldier point-blank, the shotgun blast of his weapon in nunchaku form turning the grunt's insides into mincemeat and exiting through his back via a large hole.

One White Fang guard in the rear brought up his rifle and aimed at Sun, screaming bloody murder. Blake was quick to intervene, relieving the soldier of his arm with a clean slice of her beloved weapon, and followed through with a slash that easily cut through his white armoured vest. Deftly sliding under another enraged soldier's cleaver, she cut his leg open, and as he fell on his knee drove her sword, tip pointing upward, through his jaw, exiting through his head. As she pulled her sword free Sun had cleaned up the remaining soldier with a hard blow to the temple.

"You alright?" Sun asked.

Blake nodded. Behind them, their pursuers have recovered, and resumed their chase, their guns spitting lead in their way. "Let's get out of here." She took out another grenade and tossed it behind her.

"No shit!" Sun yelled just as the grenade set off, this time sending destructive shrapnel flying. More screams followed, though neither bothered to look behind to see how many were caught in the blast radius.

"You fucking idiots KILL THEM!" Behind them Roman roared. A bolt of fire whizzed past Sun's head, missing his head by mere inches, though as it struck the ground near them it exploded, and threw the two forward. They landed painfully on the gravelly road, their respective Aura levels dimming from continuous punishments.

As they struggled to stand, the White Fang soldiers closed the distance between them. Their ride out of this hellhole was close by, though at this rate the terrorists would be all over them. With little choice left, he slapped his hands together and closed his eyes.

"What are you doing?!" Blake shrieked as she fired her gun, looking at her childhood friend as if he was mad.

"Just buy me some time! A few seconds!" Sun yelled, eyes still closed.

"What are you-"

"Just do it!"

A wave of nostalgia hit her, and for an instance she was back in Forever Falls, standing on a moving train. Then she came back to present, and stood in front of Sun, deflecting incoming bullets. One soldier who swung a scimitar rushed at her, only to stop dead in her track when Blake's shadow clone jumped at her, momentarily blinding her. The female soldier didn't even see Blake's chain sickle cutting her stomach open, not until she dropped on the ground like a fly.

"Move!" Sun commanded. Blake obliged, and saw as two Sun's emerged from the body of the original. It was like her Semblance, except his had no physical form but ephemeral, energy shaped in an outline of its caster. Sun's two clones jumped towards the White Fang soldiers, undeterred by bullets that pierced their ghostly forms, and engulfed them in a bright nova of explosion.

Sun sank to his knees, and Blake quickly scooped him up, dragging him to their car as fast as she could. Wrenching the passenger door open she all but threw him in, before jumping in the driver seat and kick-started the engine. It screeched, and in a moment, it accelerated, away from the port, away from danger. Only when they were in the highway and clear of danger did she allow herself to sigh in relief.

"Sun, you alright?" She asked over her shoulder, eyes on the road.

He groaned from the side. "I feel like shit."

"You _did_ expend all your Aura with that stunt you pulled," Blake pointed out. "Just be glad I hauled you back to the car with me, otherwise a stray bullet could've easily finished you off there and then."

"At least it worked, yeah?"

Blake smiled. "Yeah, it did."

"And the scroll?"

Blake fumbled for her scroll and handed it to Sun. "All in one piece."

"Fucking better. I almost got killed over this thing," Sun grumbled.

"I'll turn it to the police the moment we get back to town. After that, you'd best lie low for a while. They've seen us, and they know we've escaped. Chances are they'll send people to search the city for us."

"I'm not too worried, I'll be taking the airship to Mistral the day after tomorrow anyway," Sun replied. "What about you? Your pal Tuckson's leaving soon, right?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Blake replied.

"You sure?" Sun asked, uncertain. "Y'know, you could come with us, me and Neptune, I mean. We could always get us an extra airship ticket, or maybe you could just sneak in, like how I did."

"Do you always break the law without giving a second thought?" Blake asked.

"This coming from an ex-terrorist?" Sun shot back.

Blake's lips twitched upward. "Touché."

The rest of the ride back to the city was filled in rather tense silence, as they frequently glanced at the mirrors to see if they were being followed. So far there weren't any suspicious vehicles, as the highway was mostly deserted, a norm given how it was nearly midnight.

They left the car behind down the beaten track off the main motorway just outside the border. Blake would've preferred to burn it down, but neither had the necessary materials to start a fire. Reluctantly they left it intact, hoping that by the time anyone discovered it they would be long gone from the scene. The rest they carried on foot, and soon they reached Arula district.

"Ow, my back," Sun groaned. "We there yet?"

"Actually, yes. The police station's just over there," Blake pointed at a three-storey building half a block away, 'VPD' emblazoned on the insignia painted on the wall. Few of the lights were on, including the lobby just beyond the main door.

"I'll uh, just wait here, I guess," Sun stopped and looped around the wall, keeping himself hidden.

Blake didn't comment on his rather suspicious behaviour, the irony wasn't lost on her. "Right. I won't be long."

* * *

It was a quiet night in VPD station, as usual. At least, ever since the 'change in management', at least. No city on Remnant was free of crime, and the city of Vale was no exception. Drug dealing, DUI, street racing, the usual bundles of fun. Granted it wasn't as bad as places like Vacuo, but there was still enough trash that needed to be cleaned up.

But instead he was stuck in his office, pushing papers when he should've been out there on patrol, where all the action was. Burns liked promotions as much as the next guy; extra paperwork, not so much.

Tiredly rubbing his eyes he stood up, trudging towards the cafeteria in his quest for coffee. His watch read three minutes before midnight, leaving him two hours and three minutes until his shift was over. The cafeteria was empty save for his long-time friend and co-worker. "Another long night?"

"Unfortunately," Chief Inspector Burns groaned, stretching. He's been sitting down for nearly hours straight. "Pay's nice, but all this office work isn't doing much for my health. Just the other night my wife rambled on about how I needed to stay fit if I didn't want cholesterol to build up again."

Inspector Heyman snorted. "Yeah, they don't put that in the job description." He idly watched as his former-colleague-now-turned-superior filled up a cup. "'Pre-requisites for potential Chief Inspectors must be: middle-aged, addicted to caffeine, and provide a medical history of fucked-up arteries.'"

Burns laughed. "Fuck you. At least I don't fart every time I lick ice cream."

"Hey, I'm a coeliac and I find that offensive."

"Speaking of something offensive, you checked out that link I sent you yesterday?"

"Wha- oh, _that_. Nah, my internet crashed last night."

"Eh, no big deal. We can watch it in my office now, if you want."

"Seriously?" Heyman raised his brows. "Isn't that like, NSFW? Hardcore NSFW?"

"Loosen up, Joel. I've been sorting through those stupid papers for hours, regulations can go fuck itself for an hour or so."

"Fair enough," Heyman nodded. "And if anyone asks, nothing happened."

"Absolutely nothing," Burns added. The two men trekked up the stairs back to his office, and the first thing he noticed was that the light was turned off. The next thing he noticed was the opened window.

"Shit," Burns reached for his gun, while Heyman fumbled for the light switch. When it was turned on there was no one there. There was no sign of anything moved or taken, exactly as Burns left it as he left for coffee not even ten minutes ago. Heyman peered through the open window, shaking his head in negative. "No one."

"Nothing's out of place. The fuck happened?" Burns muttered as he sat on his chair, setting his cup down. That was when he noticed a single scroll placed next to his mouse. It wasn't his, as he found his own securely buried in his coat pocket. Hesitantly he tapped the power button, Heyman peering over his shoulder.

There was a video of some kind, captured and recorded on the scroll. Sharing a look Burns pressed the 'play' icon.

The footage only lasted for a few minutes, but it was more than enough to induce nausea in the two law enforcers. In their years as police officers they've seen their fair share of cruelty and violence, but the sight of Roman casually killing a man in cold blood and throwing others into the wolves – white wolves – without a second thought was just…

"…Shit, I knew he was a nut job, but this…?" Heyman muttered.

Burns paused the footage. There were still a few minutes left, but he didn't bother to finish the rest. He'd seen enough already. "Not a word of this to anyone, Joel."

"But-"

"NOT a word! We're way too deep in this shit to go back on our deal. Just go home, Joel. I'll… I'll see you tomorrow."

Heyman grimly nodded, and left. Burns waited until his footsteps died down, then checked to see if anyone happened to be around his office. Seeing the coast clear, he locked the door and took out his scroll, dialling a number. After two rings the recipient picked up.

" _What?"_ The voice answered, irritated.

"Got something you might be interested in seeing," Chief Inspector Burns replied in trepidation, transmitting the visual footage from the unknown scroll to his recipient's. He didn't have to wait long before the man on the other end of the line snarled in anger.

" _Those fucking little-"_ there was a pause, and a distant crack that sounded a lot like a gunfire, _"Where did you get this?"_

"Found it on my desk. I'm guessing it's the same lot who took this video?"

" _Yeah. You know what to do, Mr. Detective."_

The scroll hit the floor, then a heavy boot slammed down on it, crushing it in half. "Done. What now?"

" _Maybe you'd want to start explaining how two Faunus trash managed to sneak into my base?"_ The man on the other line did not sound pleased at all.

"Look, it's not that simple. Cordoning off and red-taping your hotspots is one thing, but we have to be careful to not rouse too much suspicion. If those fags in the Council or worse, the Hunters got a whiff of this, and we're all dead meat," Chief Inspector Burns shot back defensively.

" _It ain't my problem, it's yours. What do you think I'm paying you for?"_

"Alright, alright! I'll figure something out. What about your Faunus? You want me to set them under watch?"

" _Don't bother. I was almost finished here anyway. And I've got a bigger fish to fry than worrying about some ex-White Fang trash,"_ there was a pause, _"It's been a pleasure Mr. Detective. This would be a good opportunity to keep you permanently silenced, but fortunately for you I'm not finished with Vale just yet. Don't get too comfortable though, I'll keep in touch."_

The call ended, and Chief Inspector Burns threw the scroll on his desk, sinking into his chair, feeling more tired than ever. Within ten minutes he bolted out of the VPD station, the fact that he still had well over an hour left in his shift ruthlessly shoved aside as he jumped into his car and floored the accelerator, praying that his family was still safe and alive.

* * *

Roman terminated the call, and pocketed his scroll, just in time to see all the cargo loaded and ready to be carried out. The unmarked airships took to the air, heading north. The remaining White Fang soldiers were busy gathering the bodies of their comrades and Schnee Dust Company workers, throwing them into one big pile. Several soldiers doused the pile with petrol, throwing the empty canisters aside.

Roman drew one last long puff from his cigar, before flicking it off with his fingers. The roll of Monte Cristo spun in an arc before it landed on the pile. Roman made his way towards his personal airship, not sparing a single glance at the raging funeral pyre that burned behind him.

* * *

"All done?" Sun asked.

Blake nodded. "Left my scroll on a Chief Inspector's table. Didn't have the time to hack into his computer."

Sun shook his head. "Neptune's not gonna be happy to hear 'bout that."

"He will be, since I won't be asking for another replacement. 'Sides, we've got a master copy stored in your scroll, so if anything happens, we'd still have an original footage."

He shrugged. "Your loss."

"I'll manage," Blake answered. "So, heading back?"

"I should, but Nep's pad's pretty far, especially on foot. Besides, I'm just about ready to pass out."

Blake yawned, only now realising just how tired she felt. "In that case, let's find a place to stay for the night. We can decide what to do tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Sun agreed. They picked the closest motel, relieved to see the reception still manned by a worker. Blake asked for a room for two, causing the desk clerk and Sun to raise their brows. The middle-aged lady said nothing as she handed over the key, and Blake brought out a lien card in exchange.

Their room was decent in size, reasonably well-kept and cleaned. Blake kicked off her shoes and jumped onto the bed, not even bothering to change out of her clothes.

Sun toyed around with the idea of jumping on the bed next to her, but the gentleman in him that rarely got to see the daylight chose that moment to make itself known, and in an act of chivalry headed for the couch instead. Within minutes of lying down he fell asleep. Not long after Blake's quiet snores joined his.

* * *

With a ghastly shriek the last Griffon plummeted to the ground, one wing completely severed and the other just barely held together by few strands of flesh. It gasped and whined, silenced when a greatsword pierced its neck.

Qrow let out a breath in exhaustion and yanked his Dainsleif free. His legs ached after hours of alternating between jumping and landing, as was expected when eradicating a wave of winged abominations. His shotgun clips ran dry long ago, and his Semblance, as powerful as it was, had little effects against Grimm in general.

Extermination completed, he was able to finally take a good look at his surroundings, a ruin that only weeks ago was one of the larger towns that existed not far from the main metropolis of Mistral. What was left of the town of Xian that remained standing were framework of burnt buildings like charred skeletal remains, the rest buried under ashes and rubbles, faint stench of decay and fire still lingering about in the air.

All around him, numerous Griffon corpses began to decay, the black ashes carried away by gale. Qrow knew he was far from done, however; Grimm flocked to ruins, drawn by scent of death and all that's foul. And more flyers – colloquialism for species of Grimm capable of flight – would undoubtedly be upon him if he stayed too long.

It was with some measure of reluctance that he called upon his Semblance, and felt himself slipping into shrouds of shadows, until he became _whole_ once more, finding himself just a hill away from the city of Windpath, beneath the folds of a tree.

Stone archways greeted him as he passed through the gate, past the stout wall that easily reached the heights of tens of feet above the ground, blue shimmering lights occasionally flashing across the dozen-meter thick ring of stone and metal fortification, arching upward towards the air above the centre of the city, outlining the shielding layer that enveloped the area like a dome. Mistral was infamous for its history of struggle against many aerial species of Grimm. It was no coincidence then, that many renowned sharpshooters in history of Remnant were Mistralians.

Another thing Mistral was known for was its cultural flair, reflected in the traditional architecture and choice of clothing designs its citizens wore. Pearl-white marble pavements complemented the intricate marriage of polished wood and carved stones, a far cry from the modern motif of metal and glass Vale and Atlas often preferred. Some wore normal, ordinary clothes, though there were just as many who donned on the loose-fitting garments of colourful silk. Paper lanterns hung from the perches, bathing the streets in dim red lights.

' _Just like in the books, huh?'_ Qrow mused as he navigated his way around the city, until he found the place he was looking for. Sliding the screen door open, he stepped into an inn, where a young lady in a traditional Eastern attire tended to him, relieving him of his boots and his greatsword, Dainsleif, and neatly stowing them in a locker on a shelf.

Walking past the rush-covered straw mats that lined the floor, he found what appeared to be a bar sequestered in the corner. With a sigh of relief he claimed a seat, tapping the table to get the bartender's attention.

"What can I get you?" The man asked.

"Get me a shot of whiskey, for starters," Qrow said, relaxed. In a strange town in a foreign continent, bars were a place of solace, home away from home. A trip to the armoury could wait. "After that, a sidecar."

The bartender nodded, and a shot glass slid towards him across the table. Qrow welcomed the familiar burning tinge of alcohol down his throat like an old friend. And after a long day of slaying Grimm and kicking rubble in a fruitless search for clues, shots of liver poison was exactly what he needed to wind down.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

Qrow looked up. "No, why?"

"Just curious. Grimm outbreaks have been quite severe lately, so we're seeing quite a drop in tourists. Shame too, since its supposed to be a peak tourist season," the bartender said.

Qrow peaked up at that. "Is it that bad?" From what he heard, Grimm outbreak has been at an all-time high in Vale, with smaller villages and communities isolated from the main cities like Vale and Midgard being hit the hardest. Given how little he heard from Atlas and Vacuo, he assumed the problem was mostly kept in Valean borders, but…

"Haven't heard the news, eh? A handful of settlements got overrun by Grimm, and some even had to be evacuated. Huntsmen and the military's been quite busy for the last few months, from what I hear. Problem is, there's just too much ground to cover, and not enough soldiers to go around."

Qrow grimly nodded. It was just like how it was in Vale at the moment; too many Grimm, too many people to protect, but not nearly enough Huntsmen and soldiers to protect them all.

"Hell, even Xian went up in flames, and it was supposed to be a reasonably well-defended town. Took us all by surprise it did, when the word came. A lot of Windpath folks mourned that day, they had families and friends there."

"Xian?" Qrow asked, feigning ignorance.

"It's – or was – one of the bigger towns that wasn't close to the capital," the bartender paused as he looked around, before drawing a little closer and spoke in a quiet voice, "Word is, the town used to be crawling with… well, _unsavoury_ folks."

"I don't follow."

"As in the kind of people who don't see things eye-to-eye with the law. Now, I don't mean to badmouth the dead, but Xian was like a breeding ground for thieves, assassins, black market dealers, that sorta crowd. Not that everyone was like that, of course, and really, there are far worse places in Mistral than Xian. But it wasn't a clean, respectable place like Windpath either."

"More about Xian, you said it went up in flames? When did that happen? How?" Qrow asked.

"Not sure, about a fortnight ago? That's when the news came in, anyway. Strange thing is, no one ever called for help, not even a single distress call. So no one knew how the town burnt to the ground. My guess is that they got hit by a lot of Grimm."

Qrow stared into his glass, silently digesting the information. It was hard to imagine that a town of depravity was a birth place for the late Fall Maiden. Amber's background was completely unknown to all, even to Shishi, the headmaster of Haven Academy and one of the few individuals who oversaw security details for Amber. Silently he wondered if there was a connection between the town's dark history and its abrupt demise, or if it was a result of a deliberate act, as if someone wanted the town to be razed to the ground so as to prevent anyone else from learning the truth.

That was the feeling he had, anyway, though he couldn't help but wonder if he hit the mark. The timing seemed a little too convenient to pass off as a mere coincidence.

Finishing the rest of his drink, he was, somewhat unfortunately, still sober when he retired to his room. But whiskey had to wait, he had a call to make.

* * *

It was a long day for Blake, given how she was bombarded with questions and cries of anger from her teammates the moment she returned to Beacon. Having to deal with three emotional Huntresses-in-training was difficult enough, it grew steadily worse when her team, along with team RALY were sent to headmaster's office, receiving harsh reprimands for playing hooky and sneaking into town without permissions or alerting a professor beforehand. Then deputy headmistress Goodwitch singled her out for leaving the campus for days, which also led to more tongue-lashes and now here she was, mopping the floor and cleaning equipment in combat training rooms.

She was almost done when the door opened and Pyrrha came in, a bottle of water in her hand. "Thirsty?"

"Please," Blake took the cap off and downed the whole thing in one go. "Thanks."

"You looked like you could use a drink, you've been at it since morning," Pyrrha pointed out. Blake looked at her scroll, surprised to see it was already past dinner time.

"Huh," Blake muttered. She hardly noticed the time slipping. Then her stomach decided to groan in protest, much to her embarrassment. "Uh…"

Pyrrha smiled. "How about we call it a day?"

Blake nodded. "Sounds good."

The two Winterbournes headed back to their dorm room in silence, until Pyrrha stopped. "Hey, Blake?"

"Yes?"

Pyrrha opened her mouth, then closed it. "I… No, it's nothing."

Blake gave her a curious look, but shrugged. "…Alright."

They reached their dorm room, and it felt a little strange to be back. It has only been a few days, but her tangles with her former organisation and fighting and running for her life, it all made it feel like it has been weeks, months instead.

Nora waved her hand, though with only a fraction of her usual exuberance. She accepted Blake's apologies easily enough, but it was still as clear as a day that she was still a little upset. Though Nora did push a bag of cookies into her hands, so hopefully it wasn't going to take long before things returned to normal between the two.

Weiss, on the other hand, merely nodded, looking neither pleased nor displeased to see her. It took Blake a moment to realise that Weiss' seemingly indifferent gesture was as a result of her lost in thought, not out of any particular malice (though given her usual frosty disposition it was often difficult to tell).

Shrugging, Blake opened the bag, cautiously rummaging through its contents. She had nothing against confectionaries, she just wasn't a sugar addict like her partner or Ruby, who once demonstrated an inhuman ability to practically inhale a plate of cookies in one breath. She took a bite, pleasantly surprised at its firm yet moist texture, flavour that was neither bland nor overly sweet, but in a nice medium between the two. "This is good."

Pyrrha grinned. "Jaune will be happy to hear that."

Blake raised her brow. "Jaune made these?"

Nora hopped on her bed. "Yep! He also made us some cupcakes, you know, since you came back safe and sound and all, but uh-"

"Cupcakes?" Blake asked, looking around.

"Don't bother. This one," Weiss snorted, pointing at Nora who shifted on her bed with a guilty smile, "took off with the whole batch and finished them all even before we could take a bite."

"But those were soooooo good! Those warm, tasty cupcakes dripping with honey and red sap…" Nora stared off with a dreamy look.

"I thought Ren was the cook in their team?" Blake asked.

"He is, but apparently Jaune's a better baker. I asked, and he told me he once worked in a bakery…" Pyrrha trailed off.

Weiss watched on as her teammates chatted, looking so carefree. She wished she could join in, but she just couldn't, not with all the troubling news she received. Her father may have kept her out of the loop, but Cline was a loyal butler. He delivered the news (discreetly, via private channels) of her family company's Dust airship being hijacked, and the workers taken as hostages. No demands were given for the hostages' safety. By the time SDC came to investigate, all they found was a burning pile of flesh and ash, the perpetrator long gone with the Dust shipments.

Not that they even bothered to conceal their identities, Weiss scowled. Yet another crime, another bloodbath from her family's blood enemies. She lost count of how many relatives she lost, the few friends that mysteriously 'disappeared', how much Schnee blood has been spilt by these Faunus degenerates.

' _Winter should've killed them all when she had the chance,'_ Weiss thought bitterly, _'Three more years. Three more years, then I'll formally graduate as a Huntress. After that, I'll...'_

"Weiss?"

Weiss blinked, suddenly aware of three pairs of eyes watching her. "Yes?"

"You've been staring at nothing. You okay?" Nora asked.

"…Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" She tried to sound as haughty as possible, but instead it came out half-heartedly.

Nora tried to speak, though Pyrrha placed a hand on her shoulder, a minute shake of her head keeping Nora reigned in.

Weiss got up from her bed, and threw on her robe. "I'm going for a walk." Nobody stopped her as she left, the door clicking shut behind her.

"Did something happen?" Blake asked, her eyes darting between Pyrrha and Nora.

There was a momentary pause, before Pyrrha hesitantly began. "While you were… away, did you happen to hear about what happened in the docks?"

Blake stiffened, but effectively schooled her facial muscles. "No. What happened?"

"Well, it was-"

* * *

"-Quite a success. I don't mean to boast or anything, but am I good or am I good?"

Mercury rolled his eyes. While he couldn't deny that Torchwick could certainly walk the walk, the amount of talking the man did to extol his own achievements was getting rather annoying. That, and that look of contempt Torchwick gave them whenever they were within the vicinity.

Then again, the feeling was mutual.

"Yes, rather impressive," Cinder uttered, taking in the stacks of wooden crates of Dust, bearing the SDC insignia.

"'Impressive'?" Roman tutted. "Hun, if only you knew just how much planning and organisation went into this operation. 'Impressive' doesn't nearly cut it."

"It's impressive how much he can talk," Emerald muttered in disdain, unheard to all save for Mercury, a light snort the only indication that he heard her.

"I can take the shipments back to our base. Get them to our R&D boys and have them work on the Dust. We'll be able to crank out some serious armaments from these," a young Faunus piped in, her rusty brown feline ears flickering.

Roman sneered. "And I suppose I should just hand them over to you for free? You've got a lot of nerve, kitty."

"'Free'? Have you already forgotten this operation wouldn't have been possible without _our_ help? The same soldiers who you, oh right, abused and even killed just for the hell of it?" The cat Faunus snarled. "If it was up to me, I wouldn't even bother giving you the courtesy of negotiation."

"Enough," a voice cut in like ice. "Stand down, Sienna."

"But-" Sienna stammered as Adam Taurus stepped forward.

"I said _stand down_. That's an order."

Reluctantly Sienna backed off, though her glare retained its venom.

Adam then turned to Roman. "We had an agreement. I fulfilled my end of the bargain, now uphold yours."

Roman grunted, but didn't argue. "Fine, take your fifty and get lost."

"Sixty," Adam corrected him, his voice like ice.

"Alright, sixty, whatever."

Adam gestured at the soldiers on standby. "Get the cargo, and have them ready to be sent to our base."

"Sir!" The soldiers saluted, and proceeded to move the containers into numerous military vehicles. Roman's personal guards stood on watch, ensuring the Faunus extremists didn't make off with more than their agreed portions.

"Now, if you're all done, I've gotta shoot off. Got some 'side jobs' to take care of and all. Don't bother me unless it's important," Roman said. "On second thought, don't bother me, period."

"'Side job'?" Emerald uttered as Roman left.

"Drugs," Mercury answered easily. "I heard that he's got this giant restaurant where he gets people to cook shit up from Dust, then sells them overseas. Three guesses as to which kingdom's the biggest buyer."

"Drugs? Seriously?"

Mercury grinned. "Yep. Where do you think he gets all that cash from? And did I hear someone say 'Vacuo'? Ding ding ding."

"Interesting. I suspected he dabbled in drug dealing, but not to this extent," Cinder said. "I'm interested as to where you learned this, Mercury."

The assassin smirked. "My old man always said, "if you need to know a city, ask the rats." So I did." His father may have been a cold-hearted son of a bitch, but he couldn't deny what wisdom the man imparted on him was worth something.

Cinder looked thoughtful for a moment, before her eyes lit up in realisation. "Ah, I see. Hei Xiong's still in business, then."

Emerald still looked confused, unable to connect the dots. "What?"

"That club that you dragged me out of? The one with hookers? Yeah, the guy who runs it is called Hei Xiong. He used to be this big-shot black market informant in Mistral, then he moved to Vale. Not sure what happened, but he's still working as an informant. Apparently most of the drugs he deals with is made by Roman's chefs."

"Speaking of which, I heard from Emerald about your… escapades," Cinder said with a cold smile that made him sweat.

"Uh, right, yeah. I did as you told me, so uh-"

"While I can allow you to your indulgences, pursuing your vices instead of your mission will not be tolerated. I'll overlook it this time. Should this happen again, know you will be punished appropriately," Cinder finished, no longer smiling.

"Y-yes ma'am, of course!"

"Good," Cinder purred. Then she suddenly clutched her head, eyes clenched shut as sharp pain lanced through her head.

"Cinder!" Emerald shouted, startled.

"I'm fine," Cinder hissed, a few tears escaping through.

"But-"

"C'mon, let's get her to her room," Mercury decided, slinging Cinder's arm around his shoulder. Emerald did the same, and together they carried her to her quarters, a fairly large yet sparse room, filled with only the bare essentials. They lowered her to her bed and tucked her in, which by that point Cinder was ebbing in and out of consciousness, her breathing laboured and skin hot.

"Cinder…"

"Em, c'mon. Let her sleep it off," Mercury said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

The thief looked ready to argue, but nodded all the same. With one last look at the woman who was the closest thing she had to a mother, the door clicked gently shut behind her.

"I thought she was getting better, she went over a month without having another spell," Emerald muttered.

"Maybe she pushed herself a bit, I mean, she did burn that town practically by herself," Mercury answered.

"Whatever the cause is, I just want her to get better, soon."

"Hey, don't worry. It's boss-lady we're talking about here, she'll be fine."

Cinder's two servants continued to chat as they made their way back to their own quarters. Neither noticed a Faunus who stealthily left, pondering on what she has seen and heard.

* * *

In the far westernmost corner of the northern continent of Solitas, a humble settlement of Freyr was perched above the moor, overlooking the sheer cliff that led down into the cold northern sea. Far from other cities, the settlement took shelter away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation, its people quietly went about their daily routines, within the confines of their cottages and cabins. Most of the settlers were Faunus, the kind that grew fur and other means of insulating body heat, a necessary trait in the bitter cold winters of northern realm.

The relative peace of the settlement came to its end when one of the cabins went up in flames, its inhabitant stumbling out of the wreckage, with mystical fire licking his flesh off his bones, his screams alerting his fellow Faunus as they stepped out of their dwellings, startled at the destruction that came out of nowhere.

Then, stepping into the view, was a lady, with snow white locks and cold blue eyes that radiated fury. In her hand was a schiavona of elegant craftsmanship, dripping blood of the slain foe into the snow below.

"What the hell?!" A Faunus yelled, fumbling for a gun hidden in his shirt.

"She's a Schnee! Kill her! KILL HER!"

The once peaceful settlement suddenly descended into bouts of frenzy, Faunus armed with firearms that bore the insignia of a red wolf on the stocks. Behind Winter stood soldiers decked out in white combat gears, the snowflake symbol of Schnee family proudly imprinted on their armour. The snow-covered wilderness was soon covered with gunshots and screams.

Winter dashed forward, her movement fuelled with Glyphs and rage as she skewered the nearest Faunus with her Alseid, before slicing open the torso of another who stood too close. Waving her hand three Glyph fields materialised on the snowy ground, snow and ice coalescing and hardening until they formed the shape of Grimm, a Beowolf, a Hanuman, and a Sobek. The first pounced on a White Fang soldier, while the ape Grimm grabbed another and slammed her against the tree repeatedly until her spine snapped in half. The crocodile Grimm had snatched up two White Fang grunts in its gargantuan jaw, its icicle teeth soon turning red as it clamped down on them, silencing their screams.

The White Fang Faunus fought back, but against superior forces they were soon felled. Their cabins were raided, revealing caches of weapons and Dust hidden throughout the settlement, which were then loaded up into a carrier airship that hovered above the carnage.

"Ma'am, we've picked the area clean. What shall we do with the bodies?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Leave them to rot. After what they did to our people, they deserve much worse," Winter hissed as she dispelled her summons, the ice golems reverting back to their components. "Plot the course for the next marked location, our work's not done until every one of them is dead."

"As you command," the soldier saluted. Once all the cargo was loaded, the SDC soldiers boarded, with Winter bringing up the rear. As the airship slowly ascended, she watched as Grimm, white fur and black exoskeletons, carefully encroached towards the settlement, drawn by the scent of blood and death. Winter took a dark sort of satisfaction as the abominations feasted on the remains of fallen White Fang extremists. If the soldiers in the airship took notice of her somewhat deranged smile, they did not comment.

* * *

When Cinder opened her eyes, she found herself on a chair made of bones, bound together by strands of leather. A long table made of deep violet crystal stood in the centre of a large hall, the stained windows and iron-wrought frames giving off its ecclesiastical imagery, twisted and defiled by the blood-red land of desolation that stretched further into the darkness, under the eye of the shattered moon. Its light, laced with crimson hue of the land and the purple gleams of the crystals, lit the interior of the unholy hall, with lit candles perched above stands made of same devilish crystals if only for aesthetic purposes.

She was not the only one present. Three more sat around the table, their bodies shimmering in ethereal wisps of light. Projections, not physical bodies, attended the meeting, for that is what it was. If she looked into a mirror, her reflection would be a hazy misty form at best.

"Well, if it isn't our illustrious Fall Maiden," a short-haired man sporting a rather impressive moustache drawled, his sarcasm not going unnoticed.

"Dr. Watts. I thought I smelled something old and rotting," Cinder shot back with a feral smile.

"Hee hee hee, old and rotting," a pale, lanky man giggled, making a dramatic act of sniffing, before he burst into a fit of laughter.

A bulky man with tanned skin shook his head, all too used to his colleague's unstable persona.

The door opened with an ominous creak, and all heads turned to the woman who walked, glided her way in, wisps of darkness trailing behind her. All in present felt the air in the hall turn cold, and the light dimming ever so slightly. Then it was all over, and as the woman sat down, they followed suit.

"Cinder," the woman spoke, her voice like music, "I've been told of your encounter with the Fall Maiden, and that you were not successful. Do tell how and why you failed."

Watts shot her a smirk, and Cinder glared. "My apologies, ma'am. We had an… unforeseen intervention. The extraction process would've been complete, were it not for a Hunter who stepped in to interfere."

"A single Hunter? You'd have me believe that you, who bested the Fall Maiden, was driven back by a mere Hunter?" The bulky man, Hazel, cut in, a tad incredulous.

"He was no ordinary Hunter. He wielded a very… unusual power, not too dissimilar to yours, ma'am," Cinder bowed.

Recognition flooded into Salem's eyes. "Ah, I see. So, the Branwen line still lives on, then. Quite the troublesome lot, they are."

"Still, that's no excuse. You still failed, and now our enemies claimed the Fall Maiden. Then there's your reckless act in Mistral. Burning down Xian? Were you even aware of the possible consequences?" Watts jabbed accusingly.

"I don't think you're aware of the risk of belittling me, doctor," Cinder spoke venomously. "Do not forget that I wield Fall Maiden's power-"

"Just only a part of it, and what you have claimed is apparently too much for you to control." Watts turned to address Salem. "You see ma'am, this was what I was concerned about electing young Cinder as the candidate for Fall Maiden's power. She is too inexperienced, too brash. It isn't too late to find someone else, milady, someone more suitable-"

"Enough," Salem said sharply.

"M'lady," Watts muttered.

"Cinder may be young and inexperienced, but her accomplishments speak for her. Bringing the White Fang into our fold, tracking down and defeating the Fall Maiden, she is well on her way to truly become one of us."

"Ma'am…" Cinder trailed off, touched.

"However, Watts speaks the truth. Fall Maiden has slipped through our grasps, only half of her power drained. Find her, Cinder. Find her, kill her, and take her remaining power for yourself. Only when its complete will you redeem yourself," Salem commanded.

"Yes, milday."

Salem nodded, and turned to the rest of her servants. "As for the rest of you, continue to monitor your respective kingdoms. Search for the remaining Maidens, leave no stone unturned. Our enemies are everywhere, but so are we."

* * *

Jaune was pacing back and forth. With Pyrrha busy for the night, there was no reason to be out here on the rooftop. But it wasn't something he could do in his dorm room, with his teammates inside. All other places in campus was closed for the night, so the rooftop it was.

Only, when he did finally sneak his way here (avoiding the patrols – curfew was a bitch), he spent more time oscillating between whether he should or shouldn't, his mind going overdrive into possible outcomes from both decisions.

Overthinking, perhaps. But when it involved his family, who he fell out of contact for a good few years, it wasn't as simple as just pressing the speed dial button.

Last time he left, he did so after his parents made themselves clear about their decisions, and it wasn't something he agreed with or wanted to respect. He was a child back then, petulant. But years later they still didn't budge, and Jaune, still a child but not as much as he was back then, still couldn't see things eye-to-eye with them. He loved them, sure, but none of the Arcs could deny that there was a growing gap between them.

He wouldn't have bothered. But the news came in, how Grimm outbreaks were growing in frequency, and that small rural towns and communities were overrun or forced to evacuate. Domremy wasn't on the list of towns that were hit, given how it was located near the coastal area behind main hubs like Vale and Midgard, but still, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't concerned.

He changed his scroll, but he had the phone number memorised, under the title 'home'. It was on speed dial, 2. All he had to do was to press the button, and try to sound as normal as possible.

"Okay, no biggie, dealt with worse before, should be a breeze," Jaune muttered, and pressed the call button.

Then he immediately terminated the call. "Actually, maybe next time." What was he going to say? What would he tell them? What would they say? It has been a while since they last talked. Would they still care? Would they even bother?

He flipped through his list of contacts, which wasn't much. His eldest sister's number was one of the few contact lists he had, and he mulled over the idea of calling her instead. From what Ozpin told him, she has come to see him during the Initiation, when he was bedridden and temporarily dead to the world. He hasn't seen her since then, only a rushed phone call on occasions during the semesters. Neither siblings really had the opportunity to sit down and just talk, something that seemed rather long overdue.

His finger hovered over her number, when his scroll vibrated, and a call icon popped up. Startled, he just stared the icon for a few seconds before he decided to take the call. Was it his parents? "H-hello?"

"Jaune? Where are you?" Ruby's voice called from the other end.

"Ruby?" Jaune asked. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. "Uh, the rooftop, why?"

"It's curfew time, dummy! Hurry back, or Ms. Goodwitch'll be really mad! And try not to get caught, or else she'll put you on cleaning duties again."

"Ruby, I got up here without anyone noticing. I think I can get back just fine," Jaune said.

"Rrrrrright. Just hurry back. And if you get busted, well, I warned you."

"I'll be there soon," Jaune replied with an eye-roll. "I'm rolling my eyes, by the way."

"I'll save it for when you get back, or when you get caught. Whichever comes first," came the reply.

"Oh, ye of little faith."

"Get moving, Vomit Vulcan. Chop chop!"

"Yes, milady," Jaune huffed with a smile. He pocketed his scroll and left for his dorm room, his family temporarily forgotten.

* * *

 **A/N: Good thing RWBY WoR episodes about the four kingdoms came out just before I finished writing this chapter, gave me actual names to use for continents in which the kingdoms are located and other city/town names. Yeah, Windpath and that other place Kuchinashi (sp?) are supposed to be the more corrupt settlements, but meh.**

 **I had an original draft for this copy all planned out and written/typed down, but for some reason it went off in a different tangent and resulted in this. Penny was supposed to make an appearance, but the new angle this chappie took didn't have a suitable room for her, so she'll have to wait. Shame, I really wanted to write a scene where she goes chainsaw massacre on the WF soldiers and ask why everyone's looking at her funny. Maybe next time.**

 **And also, really glad RT decided to add more antagonists to the roster. I was really hoping to avoid filling in the blanks with evil OC's, or OC's in general. Can't write good ones to save a life, don't like reading fics about OC's as main characters. If I do have to use OC's, it's only as minor characters. Gary/Mary Sues need not apply, preferably permanently. But that's just my opinion. You do you, readers.**


	17. Act 2: Chapter 8

**ACT 2: First Mission**

* * *

 _"Now, I'm sure all of you are wondering, 'why on earth do we have to learn about law and ethics? The Grimm won't care either way, they'll just kill indiscriminately, so why should we bother?'_

 _"Well, the thing is this; it's not for Grimm, but rather for ourselves, and for the citizens that we strive to protect. As prospective Huntsmen and Huntresses, you all have the skills and powers that could easily place you above normal, everyday civilians. Unfortunately, we Hunters are still humans, and as such, just as corruptible. There have been instances where Hunters coerced and threatened civilians, even so far as to use violence for their own gains. Eventually, people began to rally for their protection against said corrupted Hunters, and the government gave in in the end, and one of the effects that resulted from it was to ban Hunters from carrying their weapons in cities and other inhabited areas._

 _"Of course, as some of you may have already foreseen, this didn't sit too well. The rate of violence may have gone down by a margin, but the greatest problem rose when one of the towns under the no-arm regulation was overrun by Grimm. Huntsmen and Huntresses who were present at the time could do little more than watch, or run back to where their weapons were stashed. The staggering casualties ended the ban, but the opposing parties – comprised of individuals charged with civilian welfare – came to a compromise. Registered Huntsmen and Huntresses must be familiar with the laws and ethics of the society, and swear never to use force against civilians without a sufficiently good reason, and that severe punishment would be given to those who breaks the rules._

 _"In a way, it's much like the Hippocratic Oaths physicians swear. They have the know-how and the equipment to injure and even take lives if they so wished. The only reason why they don't, is due to their code of honour, and sense of morality. It's the same with us Hunters and Huntresses. Even you students are no exceptions; the moment you enrolled in the Academy, that acts as your registration. Remember that you are all our future, and role models for those yet to be born. Always remember to uphold your professional conducts, and carry out your duties as protectors of people. Dismissed!"_

* * *

When Goodwitch called for all the Firsties to gather in the amphitheatre, Jaune didn't expect to see a crowd. One cursory glance told him they were foreign students, most likely from Academies of their respective kingdoms, if the insignias they bore on their attires were anything to go by. For Atlas and Mistral students, at least, with their similar monochromatic yet dichotomous dress codes. Vacuo students, on the other hand, seemed to lack any semblance of uniformity, instead a mass of casual attires in varying degrees of colour range, school uniforms be damned.

"Sooo, anyone got plans for today?" Yang asked over the loud murmur.

"Don't we have lectures after this?" Jaune looked puzzled.

"Classes are cancelled for the day, at least, that's what they told us," Ren answered.

"But why?"

"Who gives a crap? We get a day off," Yang shrugged. "Me, I'm gonna take my bike out for a spin. Anyone wanna tag along?"

"You got it fixed?" Ruby asked, then happily bobbed her head. "Sure, I needed to get some groceries done anyway. My cookie jar's almost empty now. And dibs on the first ride!"

"You guys?" Yang turned to her male teammates.

"Sleep," Ren yawned. The PA announcement calling for all first years came at the crack of dawn, hours before breakfast.

"Don't you do that all the time?" Ruby asked.

"No, that's meditation," Ren answered patiently.

"There's a difference?"

Jaune and Yang snickered, and Ruby immediately backpedalled. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to say that! I mean, it just looks like you're sleeping when you sit down and close your eyes, I just thought-"

"Ruby, it's fine… I guess."

Ruby gave him an apologetic look just before the lights went out, plunging the amphitheatre in darkness. Silence fell over the crowd, and a floodlight beamed the stage. Ozpin stepped into the light and faced the audience, his eyes firm.

"Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. Aspiring Hunters and Huntresses, you have travelled a long way, both in body and mind, and Beacon Academy welcomes you all with open arms," Ozpin began. Behind him, the holographic map of Remnant flashed to life, each of the four corners marked by respective kingdom's symbols.

"On this day, nearly eight decades ago, the Great War of Remnant has finally reached its end. A long, bitter war between kingdoms that was fought for many different goals and reasons, though ultimately for the very concept of individualism itself, freedom of self-expression, the very thing that makes us human. Had the war ended differently, we would all have lived in a world very different to the present one, where individuality is extinguished, where humanity would no longer exist. But it did not. People fought against the tyranny and prevailed, though it came with a heavy cost. Many lives were lost, the crushing emptiness of despair and hopelessness fuelled the Grimm to the point where humanity's very existence were threatened like a flickering candlelight against a storm of destruction. That was when people finally realised just how powerful they were when united, and how weak when divided. That was when, on this day eight decades ago, the Treaty between the kingdoms were signed, on the neutral territory that we now call Vytal."

The great map of Remnant faded away, while the four nation's symbols grew, superimposed over one another until they formed one majestic insignia, a symbol of unity.

"For centuries, Huntsmen and Huntresses have fought, bled, and gave their lives to fight back against the ever-growing tides of darkness, both beyond the walls of kingdoms and within the hearts of mankind. They were the guardians of their time, protectors, saviours, destroyers. The torch has been passed down many generations, and now it falls on your hands, each and every one of you. As such, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it."

Ozpin tapped his cane on the stage. The unified symbol of Vytal dissolved, and light flooded the amphitheatre once again. "As first year students, you will start from the bottom, and work your way up. The missions released have been appraised and evaluated for first year standards, and may vary depending on what the mission entails and who requested for it. Some of you may be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsmen or Huntress, while others will work on their own or under the client's supervision. Regardless of which task you are entrusted with, always remember to do your very best, and that even the strongest of Huntsmen and Huntresses must start somewhere."

With that Ozpin walked off the stage, and the loud chatter of the crowd filled the auditorium once more.

"One freakin' day we don't have any classes, and we gotta waste them on _community services_?!" Yang snapped. Jaune felt the temperature of the immediate air surrounding the feisty blonde abruptly spiked upwards, and wisely put some distance between them.

"Well, this is what we signed up for," Ren quietly added his input. Yang didn't look too pleased.

"Well, uh, look on the bright side, we get to finally take on real missions now!" Ruby chirped, putting on the optimist hat. Even so, it wasn't hard to miss the disappointed look that she wore and tried to hide, albeit badly.

"Cleaning and picking up litter. Yay," Yang muttered dryly.

"I don't think it'll be that bad. Look," Jaune pointed at the nearest kiosk, the holographic screen displaying various missions, deliberately skimming over the more 'public service' oriented tasks. While he wasn't one for vocally expressing his state of emotions, he did have to agree that a day spent in sprucing up someone's properties and other boringly mundane and menial tasks seemed a little too… beneath them.

"Oooh, check this out, 'Search and Destory'!" Ruby rubbed her hands together in glee. They didn't need to peruse the mission details, as the title pretty much summed it up. Yang visibly brightened, and Ren gave her an encouraging nod. Jaune did the same, all the while trying hard to keep his face blank and not cry out in terror.

"Okies! 'Enter Team name'? Pssh, child's play!" Ruby punched in the team code RALY in anticipation, only to deflate when the screen gave her an error message.

"What! 'No first years allowed'? That's freshman abuse!" Ruby cried out in protest, Yang following suit.

"Aw, that sucks," Jaune said evenly, while cheering on the inside. "Guess that just means we'll have to pick something else." _'Please pick an easy one please pick an easy please just pick anything that DOESN'T involve anything to do with Grimm-'_

"Or, we could just take the damn mission and finish it before anyone else can," Yang suggested. "And even if we get caught afterwards, what are they gonna do, make us un-kill Grimm? Bring them back to life so they can kill them?"

"I'm sure they can, with enough Phoenix Down's-" Ruby piped in eagerly.

"Uh, no."

"That'd break some Academy rules, and I wouldn't have to explain why that'd be a bad idea."

"Mr. Lie is correct," a voice said from behind, and the Regalities turned to see Ozpin standing behind them, when and for how long none of them knew. "Breaking Academy laws can have some serious consequences, and that includes being permanently imprinted on your records, which could cast you in a bad light when you graduate as professional Huntsmen, assuming you're even allowed to graduate, that is." Ozpin finished, letting the words sink in.

Jaune nervously laughed, suddenly feeling _very_ glad he tore up his fabricated credentials. The remaining Regalities shifted uncomfortably, recalling the time they played hooky with Winterbournes in search of their wayward teammate.

Then Ozpin smiled. "Of course, no generation of Huntsmen ever pass by without its own batch of rule-breakers and trouble-makers. I do recall your uncle and his team's… _escapades_ during his years here, Miss Rose. And of course, your eldest sister, Mr. Arc."

"My uncle did what?" "Sis? What'd she do?" Both Ruby and Jaune asked in unison.

"It isn't my story to tell, but do feel free to ask them for more details at your own leisure later. For the time being, I suggest you choose another, more suitable mission, and that you be quick about it, unless you want others to pick off all the good ones. Good luck." With a nod Ozpin left, leaving team RALY as they returned to the list on the screen.

"Alright then, how about this one?" Ren picked an entry and unlocked the details, its title reading 'Reconnaissance'.

"Hmm, let's see…" Yang inched forward, eyes roving over the description. "Recon… yada yada… Mountain Glenn, huh? Not bad, Renny."

"Let me see, let me see!" Ruby squeezed in between the two, and took in the mission details with her own eyes. "Yang's right, good choice, Ren! And even better, we get to work outside the city border, like real Huntresses! Oh, and Huntsmen too," Ruby added.

"That's two in favour of this mission, then. Ren?"

Ren shrugged. "Sure, why not. We're bound to run into more dangerous missions in the future, might as well as get some early practices when we can."

"Now you're talking! You're okay with this, right Vominator?"

"Yeah, sure," Jaune replied nonchalantly, all the while mentally chanting _'Fuck fuck fuck…'_.

"It's settled! As the awesome leader of team RALY, I hereby declare this mission as ours!" Ruby punched in the team name, and this time received a notification that alerted the mission was claimed by team RALY. "Great! Now, to meet our supervising Huntsman!"

"Not just yet. It says here the Huntsman we're shadowing won't be here until some time in the afternoon. Since we haven't even had breakfast yet, wanna hit the mess hall first?" Jaune offered. As if on cue a monstrous growl replied, and Ruby wrapped her arms around her stomach, her face taking on a reddish hue.

"Ooookay, that pretty much answers it, then," Jaune said teasingly. "Thought that was a Beowolf for a second, there."

"Shut up…" Ruby muttered in embarrassment and lightly punched him on the shoulder.

The dining hall was filled with students, though not with Beacon students from all year groups. Instead, visiting first year students from other kingdoms were scattered about, mostly in their own circles and cliques, though every now and then greetings and light conversations were shared between foreigners. Team RALY took their seats and was loading up their plates with breakfast when they saw their neighbouring team approached them.

"You guys picked your mission yet?" Nora asked between mouthfuls of her morning feast, for the vast quantity of food she consumed couldn't be described as simple breakfast.

"Sure did! Recon mission, in the ruins of Mountain Glenn!" Ruby proudly declared.

"That sounds quite interesting. I've only heard stories about the great ruins, but never been there myself," Pyrrha joined in, looking genuinely interested.

"We haven't either, but uncle Qrow did a few times. Never told us much about the place, though," Yang said after gulping down a bowl of soup.

"It's quite a holiday resort, did you not know?" Weiss casually tossed in.

Nora perked up at that. "Really?"

Weiss sighed. "No."

"We tried to teach Nora about sarcasm," Blake commented off-handedly from the side. "I suppose you can guess how well that turned out."

"You never know with Nora, a ruin crawling with Grimm probably counts as a luxury resort for her," Ren added.

"Why am I not surprised…"

Ren placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know what it's like, living with Nora."

Jaune silently watched on as Weiss scoffed at something Nora said, while Ren and Blake were quietly exchanging words, about what he could not tell. The Patch Sisters (Yang and Ruby) were lost in their own chatter, most likely about the upcoming mission, judging by the tangible excitement in their voices.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to see Pyrrha taking a seat to his left, having vacated her previous seat during the commotion. "Looking forward to your first mission?"

Jaune gave her a weak grin. "Honestly, not really. I'm not sure if I'm even ready to go on a mission to begin with."

"Jaune, that's not true." Pyrrha took a moment to gather herself. "You've been working hard, harder than anyone for nearly a year. You've grown a lot, Jaune, you're not the same person you were when you first asked me to train you. You can do this, I _know_ it."

"Pyrrha… I…" Jaune stammered, not expecting such an honest confession from someone he considered a close friend, "…thanks. Guess you're right, I trained and studied hard, I should be able to handle this."

"That's the spirit!" Pyrrha smiled. Jaune returned the gesture, feeling a little better, more optimistic about his chances. As brutal Pyrrha was as an instructor, she was still one of the kindest people Jaune knew, someone who he could easily talk to and listen, a confidant. Her only flaw was that she tended to be a little _too_ nice to others, him being the primary example. He wasn't blind, he could see just how much effort Pyrrha put into his nearly daily training, and the toll it took on her academic and social life. Granted, Pyrrha was a superb fighter and a brilliant student, enough to easily claim a spot in the top ten, but the only reason why Weiss was named the Valedictorian and not Pyrrha was simply due to many nights Pyrrha spent on training him, the time she could've used to do other things.

Weiss knew that, too. Thankfully, her glares became less frequent over time, reluctantly accepting her partner's decisions, though unable to understand just why she bothered to squander any time with someone of far inferior class. Blake and Nora seemed more accepting, though then again, he didn't know them very well enough to be certain; behind closed doors, they could say anything and he would be no wiser.

More than once he considered asking Pyrrha if she wanted to stop, or at least, reduce the nightly training sessions to a once-a-week occurrence, mostly out of sense of guilt rather than aching muscles. Then he remembered how Pyrrha's training was the only thing that was actually helping him improve, and that she was the only one who was willing – and patient – enough to put up with him night after night. His selfishness won against his guilty conscience in the end, however, and the topic went unspoken.

Jaune looked up when two newcomers approached them, and Yang dramatically cried out, "Abs!"

"Tits-" The blonde student started when his companion slapped him on the head. "I mean, Yang!"

"Oh Sun, the days I had to endure without you by my side!"

"Fear not, good lady, it is I! Now take my hand and let us ride off into the sunset!" Sun spoke as if it they were in a recital. Both blondes wore identical goofy smiles as they turned to Blake, silently waiting for her to continue.

"…What?"

"C'mon Blake, play along! You're supposed to step in and say stuff like how he's yours and you won't let him go unless one of us dies a horrible death!" Yang nudged her on the shoulder.

"Yeah, Blake! Follow the script!" Sun urged.

Blake sighed at their antics. Not the kind of morning she wanted to start the day with. "Fine. Good sir, please throw yourself off the Beacon cliff. Come, I'll show you the exit."

Sun gasped theatrically, clutching his heart in an exaggerated fashion. "Alas! My poor heart, spurned of love! This world no longer holds any meaning, and-"

"Oooh, can we just skip to the part where he jumps off the cliff? Please?" Nora bounced on her seat in excitement.

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Blake agreed, reaching for her Gambol Shroud. "Do me a favour Nora and break his legs. That way, he won't be able to run when we do toss him down the cliff."

Sun held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! No more theatrics, got it!"

"Aww…" Nora looked a tad disappointed at that, and he wondered just what kind of whackos Blake befriended. Then again, it wasn't like his own team was perfectly normal, either.

"Did you need something?" Blake asked though not unkindly.

"Just wanted to hang out," Sun rolled his shoulders. His blue-haired companion cleared his throat, and Sun snapped his fingers as if he just remembered something he forgot. "Oh yeah, and introduce this loser, Neptune."

"Thanks, Sun," Neptune said wryly.

Sun grinned. "Anytime, pal. Anyways, you already met Blake, and that's her team-"

"You mean _my_ team. Blake's a capable teammate, a team which I happened to be the leader," Weiss corrected.

Neptune's eyes lit up. "You certainly do look the type. I don't think I caught your name, Miss…"

"I'm Weiss," she replied.

"'Weiss'… that's a beautiful name, anyone ever told you that?" Neptune said as he took a seat next to Weiss that was previously occupied by Pyrrha.

"W-who said you could sit next to me?" Weiss sputtered, red tinges blossoming on her fair complexion.

Neptune grinned, revealing perfect sets of white pearly teeth. "Do you want me to move, then?"

Weiss looked away. "…Well…"

"…That was fast," Yang commented, shocked to see the normally haughty heiress acting so uncharacteristically demure.

"What can I say, he's good with ladies," Sun said with a hint of envy. "So, Blake, your team got your mission sorted?"

"We're heading to Midgard with a Huntsman for a patrol duty," Blake replied.

"That big-ass city south of Vale?"

"Yep, that one!" Nora confirmed. "We're actually leaving today! In a few hours, I think?" She turned to her teammates for confirmation. Pyrrha and Weiss nodded.

"That's cool. My team and I, we're staying in Vale, shadowing a crime specialist." Sun locked eyes with Blake as he said the last bit. A tiny jerk of her head and he understood the message.

"Oooh, detective work?" Jaune asked, intrigued.

"Yep. I actually wanted to take a mission outside, but Neptune said he also wanted to take his pilot exam afterwards, but the date's a little too awkward if we worked outside the walls, so we're stuck in the city," Sun explained. "S'not so bad, at least we get badges."

Blake stood up. "I think I'm done. I'll head off first. See you all later."

"Hey Blake! Wait up!" Sun followed Blake and the two left the dining hall.

Nora sighed dreamily. "Ah, young love. Doesn't it remind you of someone, Ren?"

Ren blinked, clueless. "Uh… no…?"

Yang facepalmed. "Men."

* * *

"So, any updates?" Sun asked as they took a leisurely stroll around the gardens of Beacon.

"Not really, no. The only thing I picked up was from the news, and the police launched an investigation around the port where we found the White Fang's activity. But nothing really noteworthy."

"You sound disappointed," Sun pointed out.

Blake looked sullen. "Obviously. I wasn't expecting the whole city to take up arms against the White Fang, but at the least I wanted the law enforcers to open their eyes and see what was happening right under their noses, but in the end nothing ever really changed."

"Maybe we could send them the footage again?" Sun suggested.

"Maybe. But it'll have to wait until after the mission," Blake replied. "And speaking of which, you're really working with the police? You?"

"Eh, not really. Most likely we'll just act as muscles while the investigators do their jobs. If we're lucky we might run into some action. I hope we do, anyway, otherwise it's gonna be a long week for me and my team."

"That, and maybe keep an eye out on the VPD," Blake added.

"Saw that one coming. Yeah, no need to say it, I'll poke my nose around here and there and see if there's anything I can sniff out. I'll see if those police folks didn't just erase the video thinking it was some spam or something." Sun yawned. A hearty breakfast and a warm day was all the catalyst one needed for a nap, something which Blake was all for, if only her and the rest of her team didn't have to pack up and leave within a few hours.

"Let me know how that turns out, and Sun?"

"Yeah?"

Blake looked at him squarely in the eye. "Be safe."

"Hey, 'safe' is my middle name," Sun joked. "But yeah, sure. And you too. Try not to get eaten by Grimm while I'm not there to watch your back, yeah?"

"That'll be my line after I throw you off Beacon cliff," Blake deadpanned.

"Okay, fine, got it."

* * *

Hours later, the four Regalities found themselves on the cliffside docks, each carrying their own bags full of provisions and other personal items. Around them, several airships were already taking flight, carrying students from different Academies towards their mission rendezvous points. Team WNBN left half an hour ago, on an airship that would take them to the grand city of Midgard. Now, they were waiting for their Huntsman to turn up, as was specified in the mission specifics, only…

"Three pm, aaaaaaannnndd still _not_ fuckinghere," Yang scanned the airship bay with a scowl.

"I'm sure there's a reason why he's running late," Ruby tried to placate her sister, the cuss-filter in her mind already on auto-pilot, having been exposed to her sister's colourful choice of vocabularies in many instances from before.

Jaune took out his scroll and booted up a game, Ren looking over his shoulder. "Flappy Nevermore? I thought they took it down?"

"I had a back-up file in my hard-drive." Jaune didn't take his eyes off the screen, his fingers tapping the screen with rhythmic expertise.

A VTOL aircraft touched down on the docking bay, and team CFVY trudged out, haggard and fatigued. Their clothes were dirtied and ruffled, and all four sported identical dark rings under their eyes. Behind them Bartholomew Oobleck stepped out, exchanging words with the pilot.

"What happened to those guys?" Yang wondered.

"Coming back from a mission, most likely. Must've been a hell of a mission, if they came back looking like _that_."

Around them, the crowd whispered. Team CFVY was arguably the strongest bunch among third years, even rumoured to give a few upper year senior teams a run for their money. If they came back from a mission with clear signs of distress and injuries, what on earth could've possibly worn them out so?

As team CFVY lumbered past, Velvet's ears flickered as she saw Ren. "Oh, Ren!"

"Velvet, you alright?" Ren approached the girl, his eyes flickering to her teammates who shot him wary looks. The rumours regarding Velvet being bullied didn't go unnoticed by her teammates. The sound thrashing team CRDL got from Velvet's pissed teammates was still to this day one of the best thing Jaune ever saw in his life.

"I am, thanks to Yatsu here," the rabbit Faunus gestured at a tall Eastern warrior. Meeting Ren's eyes Yatsuhashi curtly bowed his head, a gesture which he returned in kind.

"You guys look like you all got ran over by a truck, what happened?" Yang asked as the rest of the Regalities joined in.

"Grimm. Lots and lots of Grimm," Velvet rubbed her eyes. "It was a two-team mission, but the other team, they…"

Velvet took a deep breath, shuddering. "Sorry, but I- we need to go. It's been a long mission, and we still need to report to the headmaster."

"Of course. We'll talk later, Velvet." Ren stood aside, allowing the older student to pass.

The rabbit Faunus gave Ren a weak smile, then jogged to catch up with her teammates. As they watched the seniors leave, Yang poked him with a mischievous smile. "So, any interesting stories to share?"

"You mean Velvet?"

"Yeah, sounds like you guys know each other. What's the history?" Jaune hopped on the teasing bandwagon.

"You guys already know I work in the infirmary. So is Velvet. She's been tutoring me about Aura medicine, that's it."

"So… no lovey dovey?" Ruby asked hopefully.

Ren shook his head.

"Aww."

"Ahem."

They turned to see Professor Oobleck. "Ah, hello children! I believe you're the team that signed up for the Reconnaissance mission?"

"Wait, _you're_ the Huntsman we're supposed to be shadowing?" Yang's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Correct! Now, I do apologise for being late, though I do have a valid reason for my tardiness, and that's due to unforeseen complications in my last mission with your seniors, team CFVY. I'm sure you've seen them on their way out."

"Did someone really…" Ruby asked hesitantly.

Oobleck's voice grew sombre. "Yes, very unfortunate loss, but in our line of work, such risk is unavoidable. All the same, I must report back to the headmaster, and take some time to recover. As such, we shall postpone the mission until tomorrow morning. I've already informed the pilot of the change in plans, so take the rest of the day to prepare yourselves, and get plenty of rest. We leave at 0700 hours sharp, understood?"

"Uh… yes, professor," they chorused.

"Good! Now off with you all!" And with that Oobleck disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

"…Seriously?" Yang bristled. "We wasted hours waiting for that guy and he just shoots off? Really?"

"Look on the bright side, sis, at least we've got a day off. You still up for that bike ride?"

Yang shook her head. "Nah, maybe next time. Not feeling it, not now."

"Where are you going?" Ruby trotted after her sister.

"Training room. Feel like punching something right now." Yang cracked her knuckles.

Jaune and Ren trailed after them, before they split up. Ruby, unsurprisingly, headed for the Forge, while Yang, true to her words, left for the training room. Ren vanished the moment Jaune looked away, and he was left on his own, not knowing what to do or where to go for the rest of the day.

* * *

The Beacon Tower loomed over the courtyard, not a difficult feat given its impressive height of over half a kilometre in height, dwarfing over all the rest of the Academy. Serving as its base was the CCTS, the only thing that truly kept kingdoms connected to one another, despite the stretches of land and bodies of waters that separated them, the _Vox Populi._

And yet, despite its symbolic and functional importance, the Tower lacked the level of security it required, with only a handful of guards in Vale military gear as watchmen. At least, that was the impression most would've gleaned from the observation. Those with keener eyes, however, would've been able to pick out those who tried to blend in with the mass of students and visitors, their weapons and intentions well-hidden beneath their civilian clothes and feigned visages. Should any attempts to sabotage the Tower was made, said Hunters hidden amongst the flock of sheep would instantly leap to action.

She inwardly smirked. Hidden beneath the veil of subtlety and faked passivity lay the sharpened blades and loaded firearms. Ozpin was shrewd, more so than most ignorant Councillors of Vale gave him credit for. But it didn't matter, not in the long run.

There. She felt it again, the sensation of ghostly pairs of eyes following her as she walked up the steps that led to the base of the Tower. She didn't turn around, knowing that it was futile. The feeling would disappear when she surveyed the area, only to return when her back was turned. Ignoring it, she strolled through the door of the Beacon Tower.

The lobby was wide, with holographic terminals that lined the circular structure of neosteel and teal light, indicative of its origins as Atlas design. Then again, much of 'modern' architectural concepts was heavily influenced by the northern kingdom, among other things.

Claiming a terminal closest to the elevator, Cinder made a show of typing on the screen, all the while taking surreptitious glances at the elevator every time it opened, students and visitors alike stepping in and out. Eventually Emerald stepped out, dressed in her assigned girls' uniform for Haven Academy. She walked past Cinder, neither of them making any eye contacts, and left through the door. A few minutes later Cinder did the same, heading back to her dorm room.

Emerald was already there. "Took me a while, but I managed to get the layouts. Couldn't get all the cameras, though." The thief held out a scroll.

"Good work, it must've been a difficult task." The layout of the Tower was surprisingly detailed, marking the spots for the security cameras (again, both the ones visible and hidden) and systems. So much so, in fact, Cinder regarded her charge with a suspicious look. "I am curious, though, as to how you managed to acquire a plan as detailed as this within only a few hours."

Skilled as Emerald was with her hands, the same could not be said for her expressions. "Well… you know, just… being really, _really_ sneaky, and-"

"Emerald," Cinder snapped.

The thief sighed resignedly. "It was from that guy with the moustache. He said he got the place scanned even before we came here."

"How?" It didn't take long for Cinder to connect the dots. "Watts… that old degenerate."

"Merc thinks he's monitoring us, and I don't think he's wrong, either," Emerald said with caution. Ever since they arrived in Beacon they too, felt invisible eyes watching them, monitoring their every action in public. It was unnerving, to say the least, more so when none of them truly knew who was having them under surveillance. Watts or one of their own was a better option than, say, Ozpin's Hunters that patrolled the Academy grounds under disguises.

"Yes, I noticed," Cinder hissed. No doubt Watts sent his own agents to shadow her simply for the purpose of conveying just how little faith he placed in her abilities to carry out a mission. The Tower layout data he forwarded to Emerald only proved her suspicions correct.

"I could… delete it, if you want." Emerald knew how much Cinder hated being patronised, underestimated. It was something Cinder shared with her charges in her rare moments of vulnerability, when the incomplete power of the Maidens stirred within her, driving her mad. Being the youngest of Salem's inner circle, she was often treated as such, and that infuriated her, even at Salem, a being who she respected but feared, hence why it was Watts that often she directed all her anger and frustration, not just because the old codger was a condescending egotist, but simply because he was the most convenient outlet.

Which was why the thief was surprised when Cinder pocketed the scroll. "No, it's not worth it. There's a lot at stake, and I can't allow my pride to get the better of me."

Emerald sat on the bed. "If you say so."

The door opened, and Mercury stepped in, throwing himself on the bed next to Emerald. "S'up."

"What did you find?"

Mercury tossed his scroll in lieu of words. Flicking through Cinder found a complete roster of all Beacon students across all year levels, including their records. Team CFVY was one of the few she searched first, having heard the rumours. True enough, their Grimm kill count was certainly impressive, along with their long records of successful missions. No information about their combat tactics and Semblances existed, however, not just for team CFVY but for all on the roster, as was proven the further down the list she went. Eventually she reached the first years, of which by then her two charges also peered over her shoulders, offering odd bits of commentary and information not on the list.

"Cardin Winchester? Must be from that big-shot mercenary Winchester family. Heard he had a twin, but she ended up as Deathstalker chow during the Initiation."

"Ouch," Emerald said indifferently. "Good to know. Might be useful later."

"The rest of his team's nothing much, just your typical thugs with barely enough brain cells to fill a shot glass. Not much in the way of tactics, just rush in and hit whatever or whoever," Mercury snorted. "Pyrrha Nikos didn't even have to try to wipe the floors with them."

"Ah yes, the Mistralian Regional Champion, the 'Goddess of Victory'. A phenomenal fighter, we'll most likely see her in the tournament." Cinder idly perused Pyrrha Nikos' profile. "Emerald told me you fought her. Anything you wish to add?"

Emerald buried her face in her hands. "I told him not to draw attention to ourselves, the idiot."

"It was a better way to gauge her skills than just watching from the side," the assassin shot back defensively. Turning to Cinder, he said, "she's a decent fighter. Clever, too. She was sizing me up just as much as I was with her. I'd say she's a good all-rounder, covering her defence well, and still maintaining some heat in her hits. On top of that, she's got her Semblance. Can't say exactly what she can do with it, but the chick's got some weird magnet power. That's how she pushed me off, if you remember." Mercury looked at Emerald, who nodded in affirmation.

"No wonder she won all those tournament rounds. Anyone armed with even a bit of metal, she can just play them like a fucking fiddle. It's almost like she was designed to be a PvP killer, that bitch." Mercury shook his head, looking a tad peeved.

"That doesn't make her invincible though. Everyone has a weakness, even her," Emerald added. Mercury nodded in understanding. There were many ways to hurt someone, physical methods being only the tip of the iceberg. For someone like Emerald who played with minds, this was especially true.

"Anyone else worth mentioning? What about her teammates?"

"She's got a Schnee for a partner. Dust user, obviously, but a squishy glass cannon," Emerald summarised. Mercury wasn't the only one who played games. "Some hyperactive chick with a hammer, and that cat Faunus, the White Fang agent who went rogue."

"Speaking of which, did Horns ever mention anything about requesting for a murder? I thought they pretty much just killed anyone who went AWOL," Mercury said dryly. Tukson's assassination was a little too anticlimactic, as the Faunus barely even put up a fight to make it interesting.

"No, he didn't." And most likely he wouldn't. Adam Taurus was a man of few words, and kept many a secrets close to his vest, disclosing it to a selected few, all of them within the organisation and under his command.

"We'll still keep an eye out, just in case she pulls something out of her ass. The Schnee bitch, too." Emerald took out her scroll and tapped away, contacting the several sleeper agents that infiltrated Beacon Academy along with the three of them. Their orders were to act as eyes and ears for the Coalition, keeping tabs on key individuals all the while staying hidden in plain sight, Ozpin being the primary example. Ironwood's presence was unexpected, but relatively inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

Cinder absently nodded, her eyes drawn to the youthful face of Ruby Rose on the roster. To think that the girl was related to the Huntsmen that interfered with her mission…

A small spark of hatred welled up inside her at the thought, the constant aching hunger she had to endure every day reminding her why she suffered. He may have been Ozpin's lapdog for all she knew, but she swore she'd break him, slowly. And there were many different ways to bleed someone, she mused as her amber eyes lingered on Ruby Rose's cheerful face on the roster.

* * *

The next morning, team RALY groggily woke up just as the clock hand read 6 am. After a brief tussle over who got to use the bathroom first, they shouldered their own packs and headed for the airship dock. Oobleck was already there, waiting for them.

"Ah, excellent! You're right on time! Hop aboard, quickly now!" He ushered them in, though not before eyeing the bulging bags both Patch sisters carried. "What do you have in your bags ladies?"

"Just… stuff?" Ruby offered.

The historian didn't look pleased. "Ladies, we're going on a mission, not a field trip. Save for bare essentials it's best to travel light, as extra weight can tire you quicker and hinders you when fighting. Once we reach our destination I want you ladies to only pick out what you need, and leave the rest in the lockers. Understood?"

Ruby and Yang mumbled affirmatives, briefly wondering whether it was really a bad idea to bring a portable gas cooker and tents. And cookies.

The airship jolted as it ascended, and Jaune hastily drew out his pill box, quickly popping one in his mouth. The queasy knot in his stomach started to loosen somewhat, and he could stare out the window at the scenery below without having to feel like his head was spinning.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Yang asked some time after the take-off.

"There's a military outpost just outside Mountain Glenn's boundaries. That'll act as our temporary home base for the duration of this mission," Oobleck answered.

Ruby raised her hand as if one would in a classroom. "Question! How long will this mission take?"

"It's hard to say," Oobleck said with a contemplative look. "Mountain Glenn's quite large, and depending on the situation may either lengthen or shorten the mission. We'll just have to see."

This time Ren threw a question, leaning forward. "What kind of opposition are we expecting?"

"Structural hazards, and Grimm. Lots and lots of Grimm." That last bit didn't settle well with Jaune, who asked, "Uh, what kind of Grimm sir?"

"Observational data obtained from the military installation and various excursions by Huntsmen shows that the outermost areas of the city is inhabited mostly by typical D Class types, and the more dangerous types of Grimm confined mostly near the centre of the ruin. Since our mission is to simply survey the perimeter, it's unlikely we'll be running into anything too dangerous. Then again, as the saying goes, nothing is certain."

The team of four fell silent, all too aware of how true that statement was. The Initiation, the Forever Falls, dangerous species of Grimm could just as easily cross their paths as lesser species could.

"So you're saying higher class types mostly stick around the centre of the city? Why's that? Why not like an even dispersion around the ruins?" Jaune asked, curious.

"An excellent question, Mr. Arc. Unfortunately we've yet to find an answer for such anomalous patterns in their behaviours, though then again, that could be said for many other things about Grimm. As a matter of fact, there'll be a team of Hunters who'll be exploring the hearts of the city to find answers for that very question. We could ask them more once we arrive," Oobleck said as he took a swig from his thermos.

It wasn't the kind of answer Jaune was hoping to hear, but he took it nevertheless, taking comfort in the fact that they weren't the ones traversing into the red zone of the city crawling with god-forsaken abominations. With a slight shiver he recalled the giant Arachne he and Ruby ran into while stranded in the Emerald Forest, and wondered if there could be any species of Grimm worse than eight-legged nightmare fuels expanded to a size of a truck, then decided it was best to stop himself there.

His teammates were left to their own devices. Ren leaned back in his seat, eyes closed. Whether he was meditating or sleeping, he couldn't tell. Yang and Ruby stared out of the window with unrestrained excitement, though mostly from the latter than the former. Yang was just happy to see her kid sister in high spirits.

"Is that Midgard?" Ruby pointed at the giant cluster of civilisation a dozen kilometres below, encompassed by an uneven ring of thick walls.

"Correct. The second largest city in Vale, yet older than the city of Vale. It was once the capital city of Vale, though that changed after the Great War." Oobleck took a sip of his morning dose of caffeine.

"So Weiss and her team's down there?" Ruby took out her scroll, angled it against the window and took snapshots of the cityscape. With a giddy look she added captions and sent it to Weiss. Then she turned her scroll to face her team, and without a warning took a photo, chuckling at the hilarity of the timing, as Yang had a finger in her ear with a bored look, while Ren sat perfectly still, quietly snoozing. Jaune was the only one who noticed what the youngest member of RALY was up to, and turned his face away at the last minute, leaving a blur on the image where his head should've been. That too, was sent.

Then the Bullhead shook, tilting side to side. Alarmed, Jaune looked out the window, only to see the airship heading straight towards the long mountain ranges, thick storm clouds hanging above it like disease.

"Just a bit of turbulence, Mr. Arc. The Divide is more than just geographical barriers, and the weather patterns are quite different from one side to the other," Oobleck reassured, looking oddly calm despite the looming clouds.

With a tight nod Jaune pushed himself to his seat, gripping the armrest. The rocky turbulence wasn't helping with his motion sickness, not to mention that it eerily felt like the time when the airship exploded and crashed. A cursory glance at Ruby and he knew she too felt the same. Yang gave her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of baited breaths, the storm abated somewhat, restoring at least a semblance of equilibrium back to the flight. The sky above still retained its ashen look, however, and the dull roar of thunder echoing through the valleys heralded a coming of rainfall.

"We're nearing the LZ!" The pilot yelled from the cockpit. And true enough, the outpost wasn't far in the distance, and within half an hour the Bullhead landed on the helipad, just in time for the first drops of rain to fall.

As they stepped out, they were greeted by a man in military fatigues, accompanied by two soldiers, each bearing the twin battleaxes of Valean insignia on their armour vests. The lead man saluted, and Oobleck mirrored the gesture. Ruby followed suit, a little too enthusiastically, and the rest of the Regalities followed her example.

"Professor Oobleck I presume?" The man asked.

" _Doctor_ Oobleck," the historian corrected, "we came at the behest of Beacon Academy in response to a submitted mission request."

The man titled his head and stared at the four students behind him with a critical eye. If he had any objections to their presence however he didn't voice it. Instead, he gestured at the military base behind them. "Lieutenant Hayes of Third Valean Regiment. Let's take this inside, shall we?"

As if on cue, the rainfall started gaining its momentum, until it formed a deluge of showers. They all rushed inside, gladly soaking in the welcoming warmth from the heaters.

The barrack was spartan in its décor, only the essentials filling up the space. Footlockers, bunk beds, and desks with chairs was the norm, similar to room arrangements in Beacon dorms, though at least their rooms were vibrant, coloured with items and tokens of personal significance.

"It's not much, but we're not stationed here for a vacation. We'll lend you a footlocker to store any equipment you can't take with you. The mess hall's downstairs in case you're hungry, but don't expect a feast. Still, they can provide you with field rations, and I suppose you'll be needing those once you head inside. As for the mission details, we can go over that a little later, I've got some paperwork that needs to be cleared out quite soon." The lieutenant led them through a corridor, past identical sets of doors on either side of the walls. Men and women in matching military garbs meandered past, glancing at the newcomers with less than friendly looks. One even scoffed scornfully, earning a heated glare from the feisty blonde.

Ren placed a hand on her shoulder. "Easy," he warned.

"Quite a welcoming reception," Jaune muttered. Ruby looked confused at it all, even a little upset, not understanding why they were given the cold shoulders.

"My apologies, but things have been quite tense here, what with recent surges in Grimm activity in the city and all. We even powered the barrier and the automated defence systems back up, just in case those critters wander in too close," the LT said evenly.

"Any idea why?" Oobleck asked.

LT shook his head. "Not a thing. Satellite scanners didn't pick up anything more than just Grimm acting up more than usual." He led them to a room in the barrack, a small square box with footlockers and cheap mattresses placed on metal bunk beds. After they deposited their packages, the soldier led them back to the main office, where he and Oobleck went over the mission details.

"Professor Oobleck?" A voice called out, and their eyes turned to a man who stood up from the desk in the corner. Given the leather jacket he wore and the weapon slung over his shoulder that contrasted with military arms, it was easy to surmise that he was a Huntsman.

"It's 'Doctor'," Oobleck corrected automatically, before he grinned and embraced the man. "And it's good to see you! I didn't know you were the Huntsman assigned for this expedition!"

"Likewise, sir, likewise." The man turned to the soldier, "I'll take over from here, if that's alright with you LT?"

The lieutenant grunted, but nodded in acquiescence. Taking the gesture as an unspoken invite, the man in leather jacket beckoned the historian and the students over, leading them down the stairs underground.

"I'm sure you're all famished after a long journey, I know I was. Luckily they don't skimp on slops down here, so eat your hearts out!" Leather Jacket grinned as he opened the door, leading to a mess hall. A few military personnel was present, though what drew their attentions were the trio of oddly dressed individuals huddled in a table on the far side. One of them took notice, and waved them over.

Like Leather Jacket, the trio of Hunstmen looked surprised to see Oobleck. "Professor!"

"'Doctor'," Oobleck sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "I see you're all still working as a team."

A gray-haired man grunted. "It's convenient."

"What Ironside here's trying to say is, we're all very good friends and work well as a team. Right?" A pink-haired woman prodded the bulky man playfully in the ribs. "Right?"

Ironside grunted again, and a red-haired woman translated between mouthfuls of toasts, "He means 'yes, yes you're right, as always. Now leave me alone so I can brood in peace'."

The pinkette laughed. Leather Jackets cleared his throat and the trio of Hunters looked up, their eyes swivelling to the four students awkwardly standing behind Oobleck. "Oh, students?"

"Ah yes, introductions! Children, these four are fully qualified Huntsmen and Huntresses, graduated from Beacon five years ago. Like yourselves, these four were students of mine back in their days. Quite the troublesome lot, if I recall."

"We just wanted to liven up the dreadfully boring classroom atmosphere." Leather Jacket said with a sheepish smile. "Name's Oliver, and I lead these bunch of misfits."

"Oi!"

"The one with the neon-pink dye-job is Pinkerton. The other gal's Cherry-" the red-haired woman waved, "and the guy who's allergic to smiling's Ironside," Oliver finished with a chuckle. Ironside wordlessly flipped him the bird.

"I'm Ruby! The one with the long hair's my sis, Yang. The blonde one, I mean," Ruby added as Yang smirked in mirth. Ren just shook his head.

"I dunno, he does look a little on the feminine side…" Yang teased.

"Ren, is there something you're not telling us?" Jaune joined in. Ren simply rolled his eyes, already too used to the blondes' collective antics.

"Kinda reminds you of someone, right?" The pinkette, aptly named Pinkerton, quipped as she smiled at Ironside, who simply rolled his eyes in response.

"Is that a- Can I take a look?" Ruby asked as her eyes zeroed in on the redhead's weapon, an elegant sniper rifle propped against the table. The woman, Cherry, nodded, and Ruby squealed in excitement, taking out her Crescent Rose and placing it next to the rifle, comparing the two.

"Sorry, she gets a little excited when it comes to weapons," Jaune said. "Believe it or not, she's our leader."

"That right? You're first years, yeah?" Oliver asked. When Jaune nodded, the man patted him on the shoulder. "Here's some advice, kiddo. Enjoy what time you have left, 'cause come second year, work's gonna pick up some serious pace, and don't even get me started on third year."

Jaune winced. "Is it that bad?"

Oliver smiled wryly. "Maybe it's just me. Ask Cherry over there, and she'll tell you it wasn't so bad, but only 'cause she's freakin' smart. There's a lot to study and absorb, and she loved every minute of it. The rest of us dimwits though, it was hell. 'Course, when it came to missions, that's when we shined. Speaking of which, I'm guessing this is your first mission?"

Jaune nodded. "A bit nervous, to be honest."

"Everyone feels the same on their first mission, and even then, you can never really get used to it either. You never know what'll happen in a mission, with or without intel. Out there, pretty much anything could happen, the best you can really do is learn to adapt and hope for the best."

"Oliver, about time we went over the details, isn't it?" Oobleck called out.

"Right." With a pat on the back the Huntsman beckoned Jaune to sit with the rest of the group. Oliver placed a scroll on the table, and a flat 3D holographic layout of Mountain Glenn hovered mid-air.

"Now, I know our missions aren't tied, but given the same location it'd be good to keep in radio contact, just in case. We'll be heading straight into the heart of the city, while you and your students will be running around the perimeter. Word has it that Grimm activity has been showing some steady rise over the past week for whatever reason, so you'll likely to encounter more than just a few Grimm on the way. If anything happens, just give us a holler, and we'll come running. Any questions?"

"None of us are familiar with the area. Do we have access to like say map of the city or something?" Yang asked.

"I've got that sorted Miss Xiao Long." Oobleck held up his own scroll. "I'll forward the data to you now, if you'll just give me a moment…"

Oliver and his team of Hunters stood up. "Alright. If that's all settled, we need to get going, still got some last minute prep work to do and all."

"Wait, you're going out in this weather?" Oobleck asked incredulously.

"We were supposed to head out a few days ago, but the weather was pretty foul for the whole time, and we can't put off the mission any longer. All we can do is just hope it clears up soon." With a flick of his head Cherry drew out a radio transceiver and tossed it to Oobleck.

"Take care, all of you." Oobleck extended his hand, which Oliver took.

"See you on the other side, professor. Next time we meet, let's hit a bar. Ironside's paying."

"Like hell," Ironside growled, but smiled nonetheless.

"As for you firsties, just follow professor's instructions and watch each other's backs. Out here in the middle of nowhere, it's you and your mates against the world." Oliver regarded them with a serious look, before it dissolved to a grin. "See you around kiddos, looking forward to the day when we get to work together as fellow Huntsmen."

"Take care, guys." Pinkerton waved and followed Oliver to the exit. Ironside merely grunted, and motioned Cherry to follow. As she left, she handed Ruby a note. "That's where I go to get my supplies. Seeing how we both use similar type of firearms, I think you'll like it."

"Thanks! And good luck with your mission!" Ruby said.

The team of Hunters left, and the four Regalities turned to Oobleck on the next course of action. "When do we leave?"

"Given the harsh weather outside, I think it'd be best if we waited for a few more hours, just to see if the weather can clear up. That'll give us a time to catch our breaths, and of course, re-pack our supplies," Oobleck said as he pointedly looked at the sisters.

"And if it doesn't clear up?" Ren asked. Jaune mentally did the same.

"Then we leave regardless. Part of being a Huntsman is to overcome any odds and persevere at any costs. Come rain or snow, Huntsmen must still carry on with their duties!" The historian declared with no small amount of pride. None of the four students shared his sentiment.

Few hours later, team RALY dashed into the ruins, following Bartholomew's lead all the while doing their best to shield themselves from the torrential rainfall.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter's set some time after the previous chapter, just long enough for team RALY and WNBN to acquaint themselves with Sun (due to his connection with Blake) but not enough to meet Sun's other teammates (though really it's always just Neptune who gets the limelight in canon, whereas the other two are just kinda there, in the background, somewhere).**

 **Apologies for the lack of bloody action, it was initially part of the draft for this chapter, but things happened and so ended up being shifted to the chapter after, otherwise this would've turned into a monster of an update. The Mountain Glenn foray's coming up, so yeah, incoming violence!**

 **I've always wondered why Mountain Glenn, being a Grimm-infested city and pretty much just a mountain range away from populated areas, don't have anything like a surveillance system or military presence to prevent invasion? And on that note, does Vale even have its own military? Seems like the it's only Atlas that actually have their own military, and Vale just kind of let them do their things, I dunno.**


	18. Act 2: Chapter 9

**ACT 2: Mountain Glenn**

* * *

"… _Y'know, I've always wondered, what happens after someone unlocks their Aura?"_

" _It's in the textbook. It was even covered in the class last week. Don't you ever read? Wait, don't answer that."_

" _Fine, be that way. Pyrrha?"_

" _You know how our body has a circulatory system, and it's divided into two separate systems? There's the cardiovascular system, which involves flow and distribution of blood around the body. The second one's lymphatic system, mainly involved in body's immunity."_

" _For people like us, who unlocked Aura, we're called 'Awoken', sometimes 'Awakened'. But digressions aside, once Aura is unlocked, our body forms a third circulatory system, conduits for Aura."_

"… _Ooookaaaayy?"_

" _What Pyrrha means to say is, that Aura flows around our body in ways not too dissimilar from blood and lymph. And as they flow around our body, they emit light that behaves similar to conventional light, the wave-particle duality. This light is what protects us, though not perfectly. Remember that lecture from professor Goodwitch? She said that Aura's radiation pattern isn't the same, but rather different, some parts more 'concentrated' and others less. That's basically the weak points, so to speak."_

"… _You're losing me."_

" _You were a lost cause to begin with. Now shut your trap and let me finish. The thing is, this is all just a theory, as in, there's no physical way to prove whether such 'circulatory system' for Aura exist or not. But right now it's the most widely accepted theory worldwide, so that's what we're going with… unless they discover something new that goes against the theory."_

* * *

Weiss stood atop Midgard's walls, and watched the city below as it breathed and lived, a conglomeration of both old and new. Impressive architectural works of glass and steel intermittently stood between towers and structures of carved granite and aged brickworks, like a window to the past, a past which was lost to the present, swallowed up by the great fog of the Dark Ages along with rest of mankind's history.

Weiss couldn't help but fall in love with the architectural flair. Aged yet refined, subtle but beautiful, like a masterfully orchestrated piece of classics. All Schnees had a taste for finer aspects of renaissance era.

"Quite the view, isn't it?" Pyrrha slid in next to Weiss, leaning over the embrasure. "Windpath back in Mistral had its own charm, but this, it's like stepping into a whole new world."

Weiss nodded. Mistral, while the most culturally diverse kingdom in all of Remnant, its reach wasn't far enough to include the intricate cultural touch of Victorian era confined mostly within the borders of Vale. Neither Atlas nor Vacuo possessed much in the ways of cultural aura, though in latter's case it was mainly due to the nomadic ways of life the Vacuans lived for centuries in the past. In Atlas' case, it was a social norm for the old to be replaced with the new, placing functionality and utility over preservation of traditions.

"It's a shame we're here for work. I heard there's quite a lot to see in Midgard. Maybe next time, when everyone's free?" Pyrrha offered.

"Perhaps," Weiss agreed.

"We could ask team RALY and see if they want to come along. I'm sure Nora wouldn't mind," Pyrrha said as she took out her scroll, pointed it in the general direction of the city, and took photos.

"What are those for?" Weiss asked.

"Oh, it's for Jaune. When I told him where we were going for our mission, he asked me to take some photos. He's never been to Midgard either, though he's heard quite a bit about the place and wanted to visit someday," Pyrrha answered with a fond look.

Weiss shook her head, still unable to comprehend just what a gifted Huntress-in-training ever saw in the blonde doofus. "Something tells me extending an invitation to the other team isn't just for Nora's benefit."

"Well, we're all friends, aren't we? I just thought it'd be a nice change of pace for all of us to just relax and enjoy ourselves." Pyrrha deflected the question, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. It was difficult to hide the growing tinge of red on her cheeks, however.

The heiress huffed, and decided to get down to brass tacks. "Look, if all you really want is to spend some time with the doofus alone, just say so."

"He's- I'm not-" Pyrrha sputtered, not having expected the candid remark from the heiress. "I think there's a bit of misunderstanding here-"

"Oh, of course! I mean, it's not like we've been on the same team for nearly a year and shared a room together or anything. Never mind the fact that you spent so much time with the doofus, going out of your way to do things for him and all. Of course I misunderstood everything, how silly of me."

"Weiss…" Pyrrha managed in a mixed tone of exasperation and embarrassment, staring at her boots.

"God, even Nora noticed, and I think that says it all."

Pyrrha looked up. "Nora? How come- she never mentioned anything of the sort."

"Surprised me too, didn't know Nora could actually be discreet on anything. First time for everything, I suppose." Weiss pivoted on her feet to direct her line of sight to the hourds, where one Nora Valkyrie sat dozing off, leaning in the cool shade under the conical roof.

"She may act hyper and space out, but we all know she's far from being dumb. She got into Beacon Academy with Ren, after all." Pyrrha rose to her teammate's defence, though she knew there was no real malice behind Weiss' words. Nora Valkyrie may not have been a grade-A student material, but she had a bright mind and learned quickly. Granted, much of that simply went through one ear and slithered out the other, but still.

"I'm all too aware of Nora's level of intelligence, unfortunately. I was the one who had to endure hours of tutoring her, after all. And don't try to change the subject."

"Weiss, it's nothing, really. Jaune… he's, well… he's a good friend." Pyrrha trailed off, reluctant to continue down that lane of conversation. Matters of the heart was a complex topic to discuss, more so when she wasn't certain of her own feelings for the blonde Arc. She didn't even know if Jaune ever felt the same way about her.

Sensing the reluctance, Weiss decided to back off, for now. "It's really none of my business, but if you want something, either do something about it or give up. You can't just magically expect someone to notice you if you don't make the first move. And he's a clueless male, so good luck."

Pyrrha shot her a puzzled look, before her lips quirked upwards. "Speaking from experience?"

Weiss huffed. "Hardly. I had better things to occupy my time with than dealing with silly childish infatuations."

"Oh, really? And what about that blue-haired gentleman? You didn't seem to mind his advances too much."

"That was when I was a child. And just because he f-flirted with me doesn't mean it's anything serious." Weiss cleared her throat.

"He seems like a skirt-chaser, though," a voice said from behind, and Weiss and Pyrrha turned to see Blake standing behind them, arms folded. "He seems like the type of guy who flirts with girls because he knows he can make girls swoon over him. Well, not every girl," Blake added as she nodded at Pyrrha.

"Have you been listening in on us?" Weiss asked, eyes narrowing.

Blake rolled her eyes. "If you wanted it to be private, maybe try lowering your volume next time."

Weiss regarded her with a suspicious look, and for a brief moment her eyes flickered upwards on the black bow that sat on Blake's head. "Right, whatever."

Faure's _Après un rêve_ chimed from her scroll, and Weiss unlocked it to find a message from professor Port. "Professor Port. He wants us to meet up with him in some bar. Says he's got something for us."

"Bar? What for?"

Weiss shrugged. "I wouldn't know. But at least we know where he's gone off to now. Might as well as take the opportunity to find out why he pretty much left us on our own since yesterday."

"I'll let the watchman know we're leaving," Pyrrha said as she left for the crow's nest.

"And I'll get Nora. See you in five?"

"Better make it ten, unless you're confident you can get Nora to wake up sooner."

Fifteen minutes later, Weiss led her Winterbournes down the avenue, lined with colourful shops and houses. Vendors' boisterous cries and energetic chatter of passers-by filled the streets, accompanied by rich blend of aromas from delicacies and bouquets of flowers that rode the gentle winds as it sighed. The avenue slowly gave away to a wide courtyard, where fountains and miniature gardens marked the entrance to what seemed like a basilica, an ornate silver cross fixed atop a bell tower, flanked by two spires, standing tall in its gothic glory.

"Saint Aquinas' Basilica," Nora quietly pointed out, much to the surprise of her teammates. "What?"

"You're a believer?"

Nora dug her hand into the collar of her shirt, and drew out a small cross pendant. "Ren and I, the orphanage we grew up in was catholic. It was just part of our daily routine until we grew old enough to move out. We don't really attend masses these days, though."

"How come you've never mentioned this before?" Pyrrha asked.

"No one asked." Nora shrugged as she put the pendant back under her shirt. "What about you guys?"

Weiss shook her head. She put no stock in religion; her father once told her that religion was naught but a fallacy for the fanatics, a delusion of comfort sought by only those of weak wills and the blind, desperate to find some means of justification for all the horror and the suffering of the world they lived in. Sheep, her father called them, blindly shepherded towards hollow promises of salvation that no man could prove.

Weiss didn't share her father's radical perspectives regarding the religious faiths and its followers, but she was still a Schnee; she was confident in her own abilities to carve her own path in her life without needing to lean on beliefs.

"I… don't know whether to call it a religion or not," Pyrrha hesitantly began, "but before every battle, I pray to the god and goddess of war, to help me fight my best, to win. They may or may not exist, but it's still comforting, all the same."

That revelation came as a surprise, and Weiss felt a stab of guilt for her thoughtless musings, along with a sliver of confusion. To think that someone as capable and skilled as Pyrrha also had some semblance of religion as her pillar of strength was… puzzling.

The three members of team WNBN turned to their last member, silently waiting for her input. Eventually Blake said, "I don't know if gods really exist or not, but if they do exist, I don't think they've got mankind's best interests in their hearts. There's just so much wrong in the world for me to believe otherwise."

All four lapsed into uncomfortable silence. The bell tolled, and the four watched as people trickled out the door. Priests and nuns greeted the catholics, be they men, women, the elderly or the children. Prayers and warm smiles were exchanged by most, blessings given to the people and by the people.

"Maybe it's not so bad," Pyrrha said. "Look at those people; families, friends, they're just normal people living their everyday lives."

"And with God as part of it," Nora added.

Pyrrha nodded. "God may or may not be with us, but for these people He is. And I'd like to think that what we do as Huntsmen and Huntresses is why citizens can simply believe in safety."

Blake snorted. "I wish I could share your optimism."

"Just an opinion. But it _is_ our duty to protect these people."

"Let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that. Now come on, professor's waiting." Weiss ushered her team away from the courtyard, and soon left the place of faithful behind.

Some time later, they finally reached their destination. A wooden sign hung by chains over a pole, painted on it reading-

" _Crossbows and Crosshairs?_ " Weiss read out aloud with a frown. "What a garish name."

"Who cares what it's called? They better serve something good in there, I'm starving!" Nora said as she clutched her stomach.

"Only one way to find out." Blake pushed the door open and slipped inside, the rest of Winterbournes following her lead.

The inside had a quaint, homely accent, accentuated by dark polished wooden walls with layers of exposed brickworks. A fan hummed as it spun lazily overhead, though it was easily masked by the classy jazz pieces from the radio speakers behind the counter.

Peter Port sat on one of the chairs, and he was laughing with a woman on the other end of the counter. Her ochre locks reached her shoulders, and she wore a suit with a vest, complemented with a tie. Both pairs of eyes turned to the Winterbournes.

"Ah, students! Right on time! Come, do sit!" Port jovially called out, slapping the counter.

"You called for us, professor?" Weiss asked as she and her team took their seats.

"I certainly did! The watchmen reported me of your hard work, and so I thought I could treat you all to lunch! As luck would have it, Jasmine here is one of the finest chefs I've ever had the fortune to meet!"

"Thanks for the compliment. But I'm still charging you for those drinks." The woman named Jasmine then turned to address the Winterbournes. "So, you're the lot that drew the short straw this year?"

"I'm sorry?" Pyrrha asked, flummoxed.

"Come now, Jasmine. I'm not _that_ bad," Port said as he turned to his students. "I'm sure you'd all agree, wouldn't you?"

None of the girls had it in them to say otherwise, and so settled with silent nods.

Jasmine tutted as she slid the menus across the table. "Polite ones this year, I see. So, what'll it be, kids? Drinks for starters I'm guessing. Not that I'd blame you, especially with _him_ as your supervisor."

"Are these… alcoholic beverages?" Blake asked.

"No kid, it's unicorn blood. Of course it's alcohol, what else would I be serving in a bar?"

"We're currently on a mission. Getting inebriated isn't an option," Blake returned with an edge.

"I know that. I didn't mean for you lot to get sotted to hell and back, just a drink or few to knock off some rough edges from work." Jasmine threw a look at Port, who simply shrugged.

"Normally I wouldn't allow it, but given how hard you have all been working, I think I can make a little exception."

Weiss decided it was better not to point out how Nora was asleep longer than she was actually awake and tending to her duties, and instead asked for a glass of wine. Pyrrha did the same, while Nora pointed at a bottle of Guinness. After a moment of indecisiveness Blake went for a glass of tonic water.

"So, what is this place exactly?" Weiss asked.

"It's a bar, but with a bit of a twist; only Huntsmen and Huntresses are accepted as patrons," Port explained as he popped open a bottle of Appleton rum.

"Uh, how does that even work? Won't there be some people who might just waltz in without knowing?" A beer glass slid in front of Nora, along with a bottle of chilled Guinness.

"That's easy. Have you noticed the Vale's symbol on the door?" Jasmine pointed out as she picked up two flute glasses. "That's a universally recognised sign that only those who directly serves the kingdom and its people may enter. 'Course, that still doesn't stop occasional airheads from trying to bump their way in, _trying_ being the keyword."

"Some Hunters frequent the place to unwind after missions. Others choose establishments like this as a meeting place, where they discuss matters, be it mission or other things. As you can imagine, some of the topics tend to be more on the sensitive side, so civilians aren't usually permitted to enter." Port drank straight from the bottle, guzzling down the alcoholic beverage as if it was water.

The bartender placed two wine glasses in front of Weiss and Pyrrha, and placed the bottle of Merlot back in its place. "In a way, it's like a secret clubhouse reserved only for the cool kids. Just one of the perks of a profession to make up for terribly short life expectancy."

"How do you two know each other?" Pyrrha asked.

"I was his student once, about oh, five, six years ago? I was in my third year when I got in an accident during a mission. Got out alive, but I had the shit luck of running into an Orthrus. Got bit, ended up getting my legs amputated to stop the poison from killing me." As if to point it out, Jasmine stepped back and raised one of her feet on the counter, or rather a prosthetic piece that served as her legs and feet.

"Turned out the poison got into my bones. They got rid of it, but by the time they did, I suffered some major nerve damage. I can't really run or jump shit anymore, so I had to kinda retire early. Good thing my old man ran a bar back in his prime, so I took over. That's the story of my life in a nutshell."

"Oh… I'm sorry, it must've been awful," Pyrrha murmured.

Jasmine shrugged nonchalantly. "That's life. 'Least I'm still alive, more than I could say for my old teammates. But enough of that, what are you all having for lunch?"

After taking their orders, the woman retreated into the kitchen in the back. The limp was noticeable, and the girls had identical looks of sympathy for the woman. To have one's life forcefully ripped to shreds, it was a terrifying thought.

"As she said, she's one of the more fortunate ones," Port said, his voice uncharacteristically sombre. "At the same time, she's also one of the unluckier ones. Some might say she should be glad she's still alive, but…"

Clearing his throat, he continued, "in our line of work, anything's possible. As Huntsmen and Huntresses, we risk more than just our lives on a daily basis. You're all just students now, and you won't truly understand until you're out there, bleeding and struggling to survive."

"We all trained long and hard to get where we are, professor. We all went through the Initiation, and we all came back, alive and in one piece. We even faced down a Viverna, and even managed to kill it. I think I can speak for myself and my team when I say that we can face anything, and still come out on top." Weiss' declaration was full of confidence, yet without an ounce of arrogance. Looking into the eyes of her teammates, she knew that each and every one of them were capable and strong-willed, determination burning in their eyes.

"Yeah, she's right! I say bring it on! The Grimm have no idea what they're up against!" Nora yelled as she raised her glass.

Peter Port simply shook his head, not wanting to disagree. They weren't the first students who made similar declarations, too naïve and confident in their own skills to see down the lane, into the future that was yet-to-be. He just hoped these girls fared better than most of their predecessors; he was far too tired of funerals.

* * *

Jaune ran, behind him three Beowolves hot in pursuit. With a glint in his eye he whirled around the corner, sword drawn. When the first of the Beowolves came into range Jaune stabbed forward, the blade of the Arcs easily biting into the monster's leathery hide. Pulling the sword free, Jaune swung horizontally, just in time for another Beowolf to walk right into its path. It's headless corpse limply fell, just as the third Beowolf pounced on him, knocking him off his feet.

Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, Jaune raised his shield just as the Beowolf tried to bite him. Whining from the sudden resistance the Grimm latched on to his shield and tried to pry it away, the other claw poised to slam down on his face.

With a roar Jaune forced the Beowolf off him, and without missing a beat jammed his Crocea Mors into its gaping jaw. A twist of the blade rendered it permanently silenced, and he yanked it free, before dropping on the ground with a ragged breath.

They entered the ruins of Mountain Glenn mere hours ago, and already they were knee-deep in skirmishes. Packs of Beowolves, Creeps, and occasional Ursa Minors have all rushed at them and they all met their ends, their corpses disintegrating into black ashes carried by spectral winds. He himself have already slain a good dozen or so on his own, a far cry from his early days when he could barely hold his own ground against a single Beowolf. That being said, he couldn't take on any more than a few Grimm at once, unlike his more capable teammates.

He was brought out of his brief respite when another Beowolf skulked around the corner, fangs bared in a growl as it saw him leaning on a wall, tired.

"Son of a-" Jaune groaned, "can't a guy just get a five minute break?"

The Beowolf howled, though it was abruptly cut off when its head exploded in a shower of gore. Jaune turned to see his red-cloaked partner perched atop a pillar overhead, lowering her Crescent Rose in its sniper form.

"Close one there, Jaune." Ruby hopped off the pillar and landed next to Jaune.

Jaune snorted. "Yeah, no. I could've handled that one myself, you know."

"Oh-ho, getting confident now, are we?" Ruby had a teasing look as she extended a hand. Jaune took it, and allowed her to help him up. "I know you could've, but looked like you could use a bit of a break."

"You killed, what, three times as many as I did, and you hardly broke a sweat. C'mon, what's the secret?"

"I'll give you a hint; guns. And bullets. Lots and lots of bullets." Ruby tapped her beloved hybrid machine-weapon with pride.

"Rubes…" Jaune sighed.

"I know, I know. But really, all you really need is just some practice!" Ruby urged. She's taken Jaune down to the firing range several times before. Most of the time it was either with Yang or Pyrrha, but after reviewing Jaune's combat style and realising the complete lack of ranged arsenal, she decided to make it a personal mission to introduce the joys of marksmanship to her partner.

"Yeah, and how many times did I actually hit something?" Jaune countered. "I can't shoot worth a damn when the target's standing still, what makes you think I can do any better when they're moving?"

"That's 'cause you're new at it. None of us were magically born with mad shooting skills, y'know." Ruby suddenly stopped and held up her arms, and Jaune's hand flew to Crocea Mor's hilt.

"What is it?"

Ruby silently pointed at a Grimm that prowled about ahead of them, nose planted on the ground. In a fluid motion Ruby brought up her Crescent Rose, peering down the scope of her barrel. She took a second to aim, and squeezed a trigger. Another second later the jaguar Grimm keeled over, missing a chunk of its torso.

Ruby had a triumphant look on her face, and Jaune had in inkling of what Ruby was going to say. "Yeah yeah, I know, I know."

"So…?"

"So… what?"

"Will you let me teach you how to handle a gun?"

Jaune sighed, knowing he was in a spot. "How about we finish the mission _then_ talk more about this, yeah?"

Ruby squealed, and Jaune held up his hand. "That wasn't a 'yes'!"

"It wasn't a 'no'," Ruby riposted. "C'mon, it won't be as bad as you think, I promise."

Jaune nodded, and the two walked back to rejoin the rest of their team, breaking out into sprints when gunshots echoed several blocks away.

A Creep flew through the air and crashed into a wall, where it lay still, unmoving. Another one followed, courtesy of Yang, who was currently locked in a fierce battle against an Ursa, a Major one judging by its sheer size and thicker bony outgrowths, sharp spines jutting out of its back and arms.

Ducking under a powerful swipe, Yang threw a savage haymaker, fuelled by the shotgun blast from her Ember Celica. It staggered, but recovered quickly enough to backhand Yang, sending her flying.

"Yang!" Ruby raised her Crescent Rose to aim, but it wasn't needed, as Yang jumped back on her feet, her eyes a deep shade of blood red, with murderous intent radiating from her demonic-looking eyes. With a scream Yang threw another punch, this one powerful enough to rip the Grimm's arm from its socket. The next one caused its torso to cave in on itself from where the blow landed. The final uppercut was punctuated with an audible sound of bones crushing, then a loud thud as the Ursa Major fell dead.

"That all you got?" Yang roared, Grimm blood dripping down her face. "Come on, COME ON!"

"Whoa, holy shit!" Jaune gaped as Yang tore into oncoming pack of Beowolves, running them down like a bulldozer, only worse and fuelled by blood and anger. His concern grew when she began to attack recklessly, leaving her wide open to attack from multiple angles.

"Damn, this is bad. This keeps going and Yang's going to burn herself out." Crescent Rose groaned as it shifted to its unholy scythe form. A gust of wind and floating rose petals stood where Ruby was moments ago, and the young Huntress-in-training utilised her Semblance to speed past the obstructing Grimm, mowing them down like sickles in a field of wheat.

Out of nowhere Ren entered the fray, his StormFlower spitting a deadly hailstorm of 9mm lead rounds. Kickflipping off the ground, he allowed the momentum to select his targets as he spun mid-air. When he landed, a round zone of dead Grimm lay scattered on the ground. He too, noticed his partner's berserk state, and made his way to her aid, only to have more Grimm standing in his way.

"Out of my way." He brought up his guns to fire, only to hear empty clicks. With a growl he withdrew his StormFlower back beneath his sleeves, and took out a pair of jade, curved blades that resembled a claw. Its seemingly plain appearance belied its lethality, however, as Ren tore open the charging Beowolves, relieving them of their limbs with the blades' unnaturally sharp edges.

Stirred into action by the sight of his comrades, Jaune charged. A Hanuman, standing barely a head taller intercepted him mid-course. In a calculated move Jaune slowed down, and just as the young Ape Grimm reached forward, his shield arm swung in from the left, and struck it hard on the side of its head. Disoriented from the blow, Jaune bashed it with his shield, again and again, before finishing it off with a swing that lopped its head clean off its shoulders.

Before he could bask in the glory of triumph, something struck him hard from behind. Scrambling to his back he saw a Boarbatusk, larger than anything he's seen so far, pawing the ground. Its tusks, unlike its smaller brethren, was thicker, with smaller barb tips jutting out like thorns. Above all, it looked pissed, and it squealed loudly before barrelling towards him.

"Holy fuck!" Jaune rolled over, barely avoiding being trampled under its weight. The Grimm screeched to a halt, and rounded back towards him again. Jaune stood back on his feet, shield up and sword ready. The abnormal Boarbatusk rolled into a ball of spikes once more, and rocketed towards him, only to miss again as Jaune rolled to the side to dodge the blow. It continued to move until it struck a wall, and it squealed noisily, whether out of pain or annoyance Jaune couldn't tell.

With a curse he quickly surveyed his surroundings. His teammates were busy fighting their own Grimm, so back-ups were out of the picture. Oobleck was nowhere to be seen, and it was down to just him and the aberrant.

An idea flashed in his mind, and he slammed Crocea Mor's hilt against his shield, drawing the Boarbatusk's attention. "Hey, over here!"

The taunt worked, and the Grimm responded by charging towards him. Not wasting a moment Jaune sprinted straight towards a wall. Just as the Boarbatusk tried to ram him with its barbed tusks, he quickly side-stepped out of the way at the last minute, and the Grimm crashed into the wall, leaving jagged cracks spreading from the site of impact.

' _Gotcha!'_ There was a high-pitched squeal as Crocea Mors lanced through its tough hide. With a grunt Jaune pushed his blade down, cutting its way out of the Boarbatusk's underside. Tar-like blood was spilled from the deep cut, and its legs gave away as its life – or mockery of it – ebbed away.

With a mental pat on his own back he made his way back to re-group with his teammates, who were mopping up the remaining stragglers. As the last Grimm fell, did the team of four allow themselves to relax, adrenaline flushing out of their systems, and with it brought stiff muscles and aches.

"No… no more…" Ruby panted, leaning on her Crescent Rose as a crutch. Aside from her sweat-drenched brow, her corset-dress was ruffled and torn in places. Ren fared not much better, and Yang worse, the end result of her recklessness. The cuts and grazes she accumulated was tended to by her partner, as he used his Aura to heal her; or rather, augment her own innate Aura and facilitating regeneration to speed up healing.

With a weary groan Jaune plopped down on the ground next to Ruby. "That… was one hell of a fight, huh?"

Ruby bobbed her head. "Normally I wouldn't mind a good hunt, but this," she gestured at the battlefield, their two worn out teammates, the corpses of Grimm dissipating into air, "this was a big 'nope'."

Jaune chuckled. "Look on the bright side, Rubes."

"There is one?"

Jaune tapped his watch, which read two in the afternoon. "Just about time for late lunch."

The young leader made a face. "Field rations? Bleargh. I've had dog food that tasted better."

"How'd that even happen?"

Ruby shrugged. "I was feeding Zwei. I was still half-asleep, so I got his food mixed up with my breakfast cereal."

"Zwei?" Jaune vaguely recalled hearing that name before.

"Oh, Zwei's our pet dog, cute as nails. Really smart, too. This one time we accidentally left Zwei behind when we went for a picnic in the woods. When we came back, we found him in the middle of opening a food can with a can opener," Ruby casually explained, as if the very idea of a canine using a man-made tool without an opposing thumb was an everyday occurrence.

Jaune wasn't really surprised anymore, and merely raised a brow. He slept in the same room with the Patch sisters for too long to not get used to their occasional odd antics. "Huh."

"Yeah, dad said he was gonna send him over since he was going away on a business trip or something, but then something came up and he had to cancel the plan." Ruby pouted. "And I was really looking forward to introducing him to you guys, too."

"Wish I had a dog," Jaune admitted. "All we had for a family pet was this cat, and half the time it wasn't even around. Our next door neighbours did own a dog though, a small white one. Really cute, 'specially when it wagged its tail."

"Aww, so cute! Bet Zwei's cuter, though. He does things like sneaking into your bed in the middle of the night and cuddles you. He used to do that all the time back home when I was attending Signal." Ruby sighed in content as she took a stroll down the memory lane, of late mornings she woke up to find the family dog comfortably nestled in her arms. Ruby was the only person in the family that often got a nightly visit from the bright corgi, and for a good reason. Yang, while a loving owner by the day, was a living furnace by the night.

Their idle chatter came to an abrupt end when something big and dark blotted out the sky, before crashing down on the ground only a few feet away from where they sat. Upon closer look, it was a Grimm, with pointed ears and flat snouts, sharp fangs and webbed wings. Smoke rose from it, and it took them a second to realise that it was burnt to death.

"A Gargoyle? Here?" Ren stood up gingerly and inched closer, face scrunched in disbelief. "They usually reside in caves or underground. What are they doing here?"

"An excellent question, Ren." Team RALY turned towards where voice came from, and saw Oobleck emerge from a window of a derelict building, two storeys above the ground. With a grunt he pushed himself out, and landed on the dead oversized bat Grimm. "One possible example could be that they came from underground tunnels. The ground of this ruins are quite weak in places, and there are many crevices and openings that could've allowed subterranean Grimm to take to the surface."

"Underground?" Ruby asked.

"Yes. Beneath the city runs a network of tunnels, built with the purpose of placing Mountain Glenn as the main hub of transportation across the continent of Sanus, not just the kingdom of Vale. Underground metro system was not only fast and efficient, it also completely bypassed the need to traverse hostile Grimm territories. Unfortunately, the project was deemed a little too ambitious at the time, as construction of Mountain Glenn was already exceeding the estimated budget. As such, most of the tunnels were abandoned and left uncompleted, so most of them only leads to dead ends. The only tunnel that was finished was the one that connected Mountain Glenn to the city of Midgard." Oobleck explained away as he drifted into his teacher mode.

"Midgard? That's where Weiss and her team have their mission, isn't it?" Yang looked at Ruby, who nodded in confirmation.

"The very one. I've also heard that there is in fact an underground settlement built on the very tunnel. I've yet to see it with my own eyes, however. The exact whereabouts of this underground town has not been mapped, and there's no one alive who lived in that town and survived to speak of the place."

Jaune thought he saw Oobleck's face turned dark at the mention of the place. It disappeared as quickly as it came, and he was left to wonder whether he was seeing things or not.

"In any case, excellent work, students! Seems like we're quite overdue for some lunch, so let's find some place to settle down and catch our breaths!" Oobleck jovially called as he ushered them back to their feet, and the four trudged after the Huntsman.

They eventually found a place to rest, a two-storey house with nearly half of its structure carved out, leaving the interior exposed to the city outside. As soon as they sat they took out their sacks of field rations, the largest of which turned out to be cans of meat and pasta suspended in thick soupy goop. Knowing better than to eat them cold, Yang and Ruby set up a small portable cooker, and took turns to heat up their own canned goods.

As expected, field rations were no ambrosias. However, in a war zone, after hours of fighting and slaying Grimm, one tended to burn through extensive amount of energy. Hungry and tired, the bland soup and strips of meat wasn't as bad as they thought, even if the meat tasted like leather. Jaune shovelled them down his throat all the same, vaguely aware of his teammates doing the same. The biscuits and dry fruits didn't taste much better, either. At the very least the small bar of chocolate helped mitigate the foul aftertaste somewhat.

Ruby made a face after she swallowed down the last bit of her lunch, an expression mirrored in all her teammates. Digging through her satchel, she took out a small metal container, inside of which held a disposable toothbrush and a blob of toothpaste. The fresh, minty taste was a god-send, and did wonders to remove the lingering aftertaste.

"Shit, that Huntsman, Oliver, he was right. This stuff's revolting as hell." Yang tossed all the trash in one bag, scrunched it up and lobbed it away, not caring where it landed. "Do we _really_ have to eat the same crap over and over again?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, we do, Yang. These military rations were set up with nutrients and sustenance in mind; all else fell back in terms of priority, including taste," Oobleck explained as he dug into his own food, not at all bothered by its questionable appearance and even shadier flavour. "While I can agree one requires a… _unique_ palate to even remotely find them enjoyable, it is a far better alternative to starvation."

"That's true, but…" Yang cast a light glare as she eyed her pack, filled with enough rations to last a week. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able to last on freeze-dried food or water that was cleansed with purifying tablets.

A thunder roared from the distance. One quick look at the sky above told them the weather was promising to turn foul once more, and as the clouds darkened, so too, did their morale.

Jaune inwardly cursed. It was difficult to cover much ground with heavy rainfall impeding their progress. Reduced visibility was another problem, posing greater risks of ambush and hampering their ability to fight properly. "What should we do, sir?" He turned to Oobleck for their next course of action.

"First of all, let's look for a more suitable shelter, and try and wait it out, see if the weather clears out again just like it did today. If not, well, how heavy it rains will determine the amount of progress we'll be able to make today."

They all took out the raincoats they borrowed from the military outpost. Quite heavy and large, the hem of the coat hovered just inches from Jaune's feet, and he was the tallest of the team, followed by Yang by roughly a half of a head shorter, with Ren following close behind. Ruby had to cut hers short, as the coat proved too big for her small and petite frame, fabric pooling around her feet. Even then, there was little she could do to shrink the length of the sleeves and the broad shoulder widths of the jacket.

Ruby pouted in annoyance as she struggled to keep the sleeves rolled back. Jaune found it rather cute, floundering about in a raincoat much larger, making her appear smaller than she already was.

Ruby noticed Jaune's impish grin, and huffed in mock annoyance. "It's not funny!"

"I didn't say anything," Jaune said, still amused.

His short partner stomped her feet. "Wipe that stupid grin off your face and help me already!" After a contemplative look, she added, "that's an order!"

"Ooooh, scary," Jaune said, before he curtsied theatrically. "As you wish, milady. Now, hold up your arms, this won't hurt… much," he said as he reached for his knife sheathed on his back. Unlike Crocea Mors, the knife wasn't so much intended for combat as it was for utilitarian purposes, such as opening cans, and in this case, cutting off excess fabric so as to tailor the length of the elongated sleeves to better fit its smaller-than-intended wearer.

"Perhaps I should've mentioned that they are military properties, and as such tampering with them could incur fines for damaged goods," Oobleck pointed out.

"What if we tell them it was the Grimm? Would that still count?" Jaune asked.

Oobleck pondered for a moment, before he answered with a shrug. "I'm not so sure, Jaune. You certainly could try, but I can't guarantee that'll settle the matters."

"Then can that be covered by the Academy?" Jaune asked in a heartbeat, having anticipated something of the like. "I mean, we aren't exactly getting paid for this, and the rewards from the mission will be forwarded to the Academy anyway, so…"

"Wait, we're actually not getting paid for this?" Yang asked, shocked. "We're voluntarily risking our lives for missions like these and we're not getting even a single dime for all the trouble?"

Oobleck's eyes narrowed, before he turned to Yang. "It's not just you and your team, Miss Xiao Long. All your fellow classmates, your seniors, and those who will become your underclassmen have, and will, undergo the same procedure. Don't necessarily think of it as some labour or exploitation. It is a way to introduce the workings of real life dealings to new students like yourselves, who are not yet familiar with what life as real Huntsmen and Huntresses are like."

Clearing his throat, he continued. "Not every mission will be filled with terror and heroism. Not every mission will involve slaying Grimm, even if that's the primary reason why Hunters were formed. Sometimes, Huntsmen and Huntresses perform various duties, especially so in modern times, as Hunters have eventually changed to become glorified guardians.

"Even so, the profession of a Hunter is, more often than not, very underappreciated. Generally acknowledged by the society, yes, but only a select few have the fortune to gain public recognition, while many others remain in the dark, the true extent of their deeds and sacrifices unknown. And once you graduate and take on the mantle as official Huntsmen and Huntresses, you'll understand."

A sombre silence settled on the students. With an awkward cough, Oobleck adjusted his glasses. "Ah, my apologies, I tend to ramble about things like this from time to time. In any case, focus on the mission, on the present. You can all ponder about your futures after you return to your dorm room, safe and sound."

With murmurs of agreement from the Regalities, the group was on the move again. The downpour was harsh and unforgiving, and made traversing the ruins difficult, though not always due to impaired visibility. Incomplete roadworks, paired with years of abandonment and lack of maintenance made the grounds beneath their feet loose and unstable. More than once they had to cut their way around due to roads flooding (lack of proper drainage system, Oobleck commented), all the while keeping up their guards in case Grimm waylaid them.

So far they didn't run into any more Grimm, and slowly tension eased out of them, just as the heavy rainfall slowly dwindled into light shower, something which they were all grateful for. They were soaked, despite their raincoats, hair plastered on their necks and, in case of Ren and Yang, their backs.

"That looks like a decent place for a shelter," Oobleck said as he pointed at a three-storey building at the end of the street. It looked like it was once an office building, back when the city was still under development, before it was overrun by Grimm. And even afterwards, it was still in decent condition. Cracks ran across its walls, but there were no openings, save for the windows, some which were completely missing from their frames, while others were partially shattered. The double doors were rusty, locked too, when Jaune tried to push it open, then pulled.

With a grin and cracking knuckles Yang stepped forward. "This kinda stuff's right up my alley. Step back, Jaune."

He did, and took several extra back, just for precautions. His teammates did the same, while Oobleck stepped in, stopping Yang just as she drew her fist for a punch. "Wait, not yet."

Yang cocked her head in confusion, and watched as the historian crept closer to the door, then rapped it with his knuckles.

Silence answered the knocks, and nothing happened. "Prof- Doc, what's the big idea-"

Oobleck shushed them. He then tried again, this time banging his fist against the door. This time there was a sound of shuffling from behind the door, and they could hear something screeching from beyond.

Yang jumped back, startled. Her Ember Celica resumed its combat form, and the other Regalities mimicked her action, drawing their own weapons. "W-what was that?"

The Huntsman didn't answer, instead brandished his flask-weapon hybrid, the tip glowing red. The door budged once, twice, then on third it slammed open, and out emerged what could only be described as a monstrosity straight from one's nightmares, a gigantic, metameric arthropod with seemingly hundreds of twitching legs.

Yang screamed and quickly darted out of the way, her face growing pale and eyes frozen on the oversized insect in terror, escalating when the centipede Grimm trained its eyeless head on her, and, with a hiss, spat a glob of sickly pale green ooze in her way.

The venomous projectile halted mid-flight when a ball of fire intercepted it, and Oobleck unloaded another round on the Grimm. Despite lacking full bony plates like most mammalian Grimm did, the fireball did little more than simply annoy the abominable creature, protected by its thick carapace.

With another ungodly hiss, it slithered towards the historian at a rapid pace, crude mandibles clicking hungrily. Oobleck dodged it easily enough, and sent another blast in retaliation. This time, he was joined by Ruby and Ren as they switched to their ranged combat forms and pelted it with lead rounds. Ren's rapid-fire SMG seemed to do little, whereas Ruby had better luck, as she aimed for its head.

While it thrashed in pain, Oobleck compressed his thermos, and instead took out a brown wooden stick, which then expanded to a staff nearly thrice the size, with an opening slot at the tip. Digging around his coat pocket Oobleck withdrew a small brown gem, which was fitted atop the opening. He then opened a canister from his pocket, and poured its content, red sand, on the ground.

Pointing the staff at the arthropod Grimm, Oobleck uttered, or rather, chanted, in a language that was foreign, yet not of any kingdom on Remnant. Ren, who grew up in the cultural hub of Remnant that was Mistral, and even spoke multiple different languages, could not identify the language Oobleck used.

They didn't know what he said, though the result that followed was soon becoming clear. Clouds of dust and sand, both red and brown, kicked up and swirled about the Huntsman, before shooting forward and enveloped the great centipede.

Its thrashing grew wilder, as if in great pain. Red glows emanated from within, through the small openings of its carapace, before it swelled up like bread in an oven and exploded, showering the pavement with fragments of its shell and flesh.

"Ugh, eww eww eww!" Yang hopped on her feet, furiously swatting the particles away from her person. She was the least affected of the team of four, as she stood the furthest away from the Grimm, thus standing near the edge of the blast zone.

"Well, that's all settled! Now wasn't that fun?" Oobleck wiped his glasses, before popping them back on. "Now, let's scour the rest of the building, shall we? No knowing what else might jump out when we least expect it!"

"Er, sir? What was all that about?" Jaune asked as he trudged inside after the professor.

"That, Jaune, was a Dunewurm, a Class C Grimm. Takes on an appearance of a centipede, except on a magnified scale. In fact, I do believe this one was quite young, as when they mature they can easily grow to be as large as King Taijitu. Of course, the largest recorded King Taijitu ever witnessed was easily as tall as a skyscraper, and was given various monikers, like 'Hydra' or 'Ouroboros', but it's been many centuries since they were last seen, and-"

"Uh, not that, sir, I meant your staff, or whatever it's called…" Jaune interrupted.

"Ah, this?" Oobleck held up the staff, and Jaune saw the brown gem was in fact, a Dust crystal. Pure refinement too, as it was quite translucent, and upon closer inspection Jaune could see a faint light glimmering from within.

"Yeah, and what was up with that strange incantation?" Jaune pressed on. He wasn't the expert in the fields of Aura and Dust, but he's never heard of any powers that involved speechcraft in any shape or form. Activation of Semblance required no verbal commands, only will of intents and internal channelling of one's Aura… at least, that's what he picked up from the lectures.

Oobleck simply grinned. "That, Mr. Arc, is a secret."

Jaune raised his brow, but didn't pursue the subject. He had more pressing matters to concern himself with, like surviving the mission and going back to his comfortable bed and hot food back in Beacon.

Behind him, he could hear Ren quietly talking to Ruby. "What's wrong with Yang?" He too, noticed her partner's pale visage and subdued silence.

Ruby took one look at her sister, and replied with a sigh. "Yang's er, not good with bugs. That's to say, she really, really hates them, and not in her usual 'punch-everything-until-they-die' sort of way either."

"She was fine with those ants earlier, though," Ren pointed out. Some time after they entered the city, they came across a large hole that acted as an entrance to a tunnel. None of them dared to venture into its depths, and good thing they didn't, as ants, big as Boarbatusks with bony plates and fiendish red eyes was set loose upon them. After a few moments of bout, the ants, the ones that made out to the surface at least, were eradicated, and the tunnel sealed by collapsing the entrance.

"Those kinds of bugs I can deal with. It's just those long, wriggly kinds that gives me the creeps." Yang frowned. Some colour returned to her face, and she no longer seemed edgy. "And all those legs, it's just…" She shuddered.

"When we were kids, we used to play in the woods. One time we went near this mud pit, and Yang accidentally fell in. She was fine, except that she somehow got something stuck in her hair." Ren glanced at Yang's long, flowing locks, and immediately got the gist of where this story was heading.

"Let me guess, it was a worm?"

Ruby nodded. "Yep, and pretty long, too. It was all tangled up in her hair, and we had to practically fish it out. She told me that it wriggled up and down her hair, and-"

"Okay, got it," Ren hastily cut in, and mentally made a note for himself to consider a change in hair style.

It didn't take long for them to scour the building, and deemed it Grimm-free. When asked how that one Grimm centipede managed to get in, Oobleck merely shrugged. "Grimm, despite taking on appearances of animals and even plants, don't seem to retain their respective behaviours. Add in the fact that Grimmkind do not need to feed to grow like other life forms, they're still a complete anomaly to us," he said.

They chose to set up shelter in the room on the uppermost floor. There were no beds, but they managed to salvage couches, or what was left of them, and dragged them into the room as makeshift beddings. Tables, chairs, they too, were brought in, though like the rest of the building they were caked with dust, and dry streaks of brown flakes that suspiciously seemed like dry bloodstains.

"…Uh…"

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked.

"…Nothing."

* * *

"Tell me Yang, what does it mean to be a Huntress to you?"

Yang halted mid-step, before she slowly turned around with an armful of wood. She was out collecting bits and pieces of wood for fire when she was accompanied by the historian. At first she assumed he was out here to lend a helping hand, but apparently he was out here for another reason altogether.

Brows furrowing in concentration, she silently gauged Oobleck's expression, trying to discern any possible ulterior motives behind his line of questioning, if there was any at all. His face betrayed nothing, simply waiting for her answers in patience.

"Well… to fight Grimm and protect people…?"

"A textbook answer, but not incorrect." A contemplative look crossed the historian's face, before he rounded with another question. "Very well, then. Why did you choose to be a Huntress?"

"I just said, it's to fight Grimm and protect-"

"No, that's what you're expected to do as a Huntress. What I was asking for was your personal reason to choose this path."

Yang chewed her lips, as she subconsciously drew her arms closer to herself. "I… like adventures. Going to see new places, doing things I've never done before, all that kind of stuff. Remnant's a big place, and I want to see everything Remnant has to offer."

It wasn't the complete truth, but it wasn't a lie, either. It wasn't something she was comfortable sharing with others, not even Jaune or Ren, her teammates and friends who slept under the same roof knew about it. Ruby was the only exception due to her status as family, and even then Yang was careful not to disclose everything.

Oobleck gave her an imperceptible nod. "I see. Carry on then."

Without another word he turned and left her to her own devices, and Yang shook her head, wondering what all that was about.

* * *

Ren was sifting through a pile of rubble to salvage anything of use, when he felt a presence not far behind him.

"Easy does it, Ren," Oobleck said in a placating manner. Ren didn't even realise his hand was hovering over the hilt of his curved knife, sheathed just underneath his tailcoat.

"Sorry," he coughed. He didn't miss the suspicious glint that flashed in the historian's eyes, before they were hidden behind his spectacles. "Did you need something, profe- doctor?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Leaning against a wall Oobleck made himself comfortable. "You're from the Lie clan, correct?"

"Yes, I am," Ren answered, sceptical. "My personal details are all on my profile, professor."

"I'm aware, but I'd much rather hear it in person than read it from a piece of paper." His usual mien of joviality soon turned rigid with seriousness. "I knew your parents, Mr. Lie. Not close enough to be considered as friends, but we have crossed paths on multiple occasions."

Pain coloured his eyes, before they were firmly dispersed under control. "I don't really know my parents well, professor. They passed away when I was a child. The only other thing I knew was that there were no other surviving relatives to take me in, so I had to be placed in an orphanage."

That was where he first met Nora. She was just as bubbly and loud-spoken as she was back then, preferring to play tackles and soccer with boys than joining the girls in their feminine interests. He, on the other hand, was very much an introvert who found social relationships difficult to form, much less maintain. Even as children, there were unspoken lists of what to do's and not to do's, being a 'weird Eastern kid' was one of the many tickboxes on the significantly long 'not to do's' list. Nora wasn't a bad child per se, but peer pressure tended to greatly influence one's disposition towards another. Their first meeting hasn't been a pleasant one.

Unaware of his reminiscence, Oobleck pushed on. "Neither of them were Hunters, if I recalled. They were physicians, gifted in their arts and took pride in their works. Why did you not follow their paths? Why choose to be a Huntsman?"

"Sorry if I'm being frank, but I'd rather not talk about it." He knew he was being brusque, but he couldn't find it in him to care. The subject of family was a touchy one, and one that he wasn't willing to share, much less to someone who was effectively a stranger to him.

"I understand, Mr. Lie. I was only trying to get to know my students better, and what better way to start than by asking the very reason that brought them here?"

* * *

Ruby was pacing back and forth on the rooftop, Crescent Rose in hand. Up here she had a good vantage point, offering her a full sweeping view all around the area. She could easily see any Grimm approaching down the street from a long distance away, and with her long-ranged weaponry, she could easily pick them off well before they reached here.

A rumbling from the distance caught her attention. Past the rows of buildings, she saw a line of colossal elephant Grimm marching off. "Whoa…"

"Yes, quite impressive, isn't it?"

Ruby jumped in fright, and Oobleck held up his hands, amused. "Professor, can you knock next time?"

"Ah, but Ruby, to knock would imply I would've used the stairs to ascend. I climbed the wall, and so could not knock. I hope you'll understand."

Ruby made a noise, but returned her sight back to the line of Goliaths. With each step the earth shook ever so slightly, felt even all the way here. "I've never seen those kinds of Grimm in real life. Images in lectures, yeah, but they don't really say just how big they are. Or at least they did, but you don't really know _how_ big until you see it with your own eyes, you know?"

"Goliaths… even at their smallest they can easily reach fifty meters in height, while the ancient ones can grow to nearly double that number." Oobleck settled in next to Ruby, leaning over the railing. "They are recorded as one the biggest and heaviest Grimm species ever found on land. They're usually more passive than other species of Grimm, but once provoked, they can wreak great chaos and destruction."

"Can they be killed?" Ruby asked, her innocent tone at odds with her choice of words.

Oobleck chuckled. "All Grimm, regardless of their class and species, can be killed. However, it takes a team of highly skilled Hunters to bring down even one Goliaths; you'll need an army to bring down a herd. Best you keep your head down for the time being, Miss Rose."

Ruby puffed her cheeks. "We took down two Titan-class Grimm before, how difficult would killing one Goliath be compared to that?"

"True, I'll admit that you and your team, as well as Miss Schnee's, are quite formidable. In fact, it's not an uncommon knowledge that you are the two strongest team among your year groups. Even so, you can never get too cautious when it comes to Grimm."

She took another look at the Goliath. She never expected one of the colossal Grimm to stop and turn, and stare back. "No way, how'd it…?"

"Long-range vision isn't an inherent trait, but the thing about Grimm, Ruby, is that over time, they learn. They adapt. They don't only grow larger and stronger, but also smarter, wiser. They're not at all like most other Grimm you and your team encountered today.

"Those Beowolves, Boarbatusks, they mindlessly charge at their enemies, tactics and strategies all tossed aside. They all die at the hands of Hunters, all because they were too mindless to think before they attacked. They don't stop and think whether they're getting into fights they know they cannot win. Slaves to instincts is what they are, instincts to kill."

"And those Goliaths, they don't?"

Oobleck shook his head. "Given their size and their passivity despite being aware of our presence here may imply that it's quite old, and wise. It knows better than to confront humans and risk possible death, rather walk away when there's much to lose and little to gain." He turned to Ruby, and said, "that's something even we Hunters can learn from, I think."

Ruby said nothing. When she did speak, she did so with fire in her eyes. "Then we just need to train harder until we get stronger. Then, we'll be able to protect people from Grimm, everyone."

Oobleck watched her with an evaluative gaze. "Is that why you wanted to be a Huntress, Ruby?"

Ruby sniffed, and blinked furiously, not wanting to cry. "It was… it was what my mother wanted to do. She wanted to be a Huntress who could slay monsters and protect people. I just… want to do what she wanted, to get closer to her in a way, you know?"

Oobleck wordlessly handed her a handkerchief. Ruby took it with a murmur of thanks, and wiped her eyes. "Sorry, I don't know why I just-" she muttered.

"It's quite alright, Ruby. Losing a loved one, well… it's not easy. But for what it's worth, if your mother could see you now, I'm sure she'd be very proud of you."

Ruby smiled, drying her eyes. "Thanks, professor."

"It's _doctor_ , Miss Rose. And you're welcome."

"And you, professor?" She asked, ignoring his corrections. "What about you? Why did _you_ want to become a Huntsman?"

Oobleck stepped back, away from the Goliaths. Ruby watched him as he slowly made his way to the other side, overlooking the barren ruins of Mountain Glenn.

"Mountain Glenn, I was here, back when the construction of the city began, and stayed until the day it was overrun by the Grimm. I was younger, naïve. Fresh out of the Academy, I was confident that Hunters would be able to repel them."

Ruby quietly listened. In the Academy, the professors rarely, if ever, spoke about themselves (with the exception of one who may or may not have been named Peter Port). Out here, away from the classroom, it was easier to see them as individuals with their own purposes, as opposed to simple lecturers who were easily overlooked.

A humourless smile touched the historian's countenance as he continued to recount his tale. "Many others, my colleagues, friends, they all died while holding back the tides of Grimm, trying to buy time so that the civilians could evacuate. I would've ended up the same way, had it not been for Headmaster Ozpin's timely intervention. He and his company single-handedly drove them back, and led us to safety."

"Professor Ozpin? He was there?" Ruby asked, surprised. "But wasn't that like decades ago?"

"Correct. In any case, after I recovered I have wandered aimlessly, trying to decide what to do and where to go from there. I was a Huntsman, and yet, just how much good have I done? How many lives have I really saved or protected?

Before I knew it, I found myself before the gate to Beacon Academy, the place I spent four years of my life in, learning and studying. That's when it hit me; rather than protecting people with conventional weaponry and arts of war, I believed I could do so much more through imparting the future generations with my knowledge. Arm them with not just steel and fire, but also with facts and information, of the past and the present."

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled, and paused to gather his thoughts. "The loss of Mountain Glenn and its people was a great tragedy, but hardly the only one. Throughout the Three Ages from the end of the Dark Ages, many cities fell, many lives lost. And yet, still we persist. We lose, but we learn from them, and grow wiser, stronger. It is my wish that we may one day grow beyond even our wildest of limitations and end the Grimm threat once and for all. If I can play even a small part in making that dream come true, then that would be my greatest achievement."

* * *

Oobleck left Ruby to her watch, with much to think about. He sidestepped her question when topic of his (and by extension, Ozpin's) age came up. Then again, once the Aura circulated around one's body, many physiological changes were inevitable. Of the list of considerable length, prolonged lifespan was one of them, provided the Hunters weren't killed by the Grimm, as was unfortunately the case for most.

As he descended, the sound of steel and beastly snarling around the corner drew his attention. Taking up his staff, he rounded the corner, only to see the matter already resolved; the young Arc stood over a dead Beowolf, sword and shield in his hands.

"Everything fine, Mr. Arc?" He called out.

Jaune jumped, but immediately relaxed. "Uh, yes professor. Just a stray Beowolf, nothing serious." His shield snapped back to its compressed form, and he sheathed the Crocea Mors.

"'Just a Beowolf'? I doubt you'd have said that when you first settled in Beacon, Mr. Arc," Oobleck commented as he leaned against the wall. Brows furrowing, he added, "and it's _doctor_ Oobleck."

Jaune grinned. "Guess not. It's all thanks to my friends, for training me and putting up with my whinging."

"Yes, Miss Nikos do seem to possess the patience of a saint," Oobleck commented, amused when Jaune's eyes lit up in alarm. "And yes, we're all aware of your nightly training sessions, Mr. Arc."

"If you knew, why didn't anyone say something?" Jaune asked.

"That was the plan," Oobleck admitted, much to Jaune's discomfort. "However, it was quite apparent how those training sessions were helping you improve. Yes, you and Miss Nikos broke curfew quite consistently, but at heart we're all teachers, and what teacher wouldn't want to see their students grow and develop?"

"So… we're not gonna be punished?" Jaune asked, hopeful.

Oobleck grinned. "That remains to be seen, Mr. Arc. It was Professor Goodwitch who asked us to look the other way, citing the reason that this was one of the only ways that seemed to have positive effects on your development."

"Professor Goodwitch?" Jaune uttered, sceptical. "I thought she didn't approve of me being in the Academy, not really." Her general attitudes towards him, be it during or outside the classrooms, seemed to suggest her disdain for him being counted as one of her students.

"The thing about the Deputy Headmistress, Jaune, is that while she may seem rather cold and standoffish, she is still a teacher, one that cares greatly for her students. She's just not too fond of freely expressing herself, that's all," Oobleck pointed out.

Jaune nodded, though doubt was still rather evident in his tightly-wound expression. "Professor, there's something I wanted to know…"

"Yes?"

"You've been going around, questioning everyone about why they wanted to be Hunters. Why?" Jaune crossed his arms, though his tone carried neither malice nor accusation, but genuine curiosity.

"Everyone has their own reasons as to why they chose such a dangerous profession as their career choice. I just wanted to see what kind of reasons compelled you all to be here as you are now. That, and to get a picture of what kind of Huntsmen and Huntresses we would be entrusting our futures to."

Jaune silently stared, then nodded. "Guess you have a point there, doc."

"Would you rather I ask you the same questions I asked your teammates?" Oobleck gave him a lop-sided grin.

"Not really, sir. Even if I did give you an answer, it's probably something you've heard from other students already, anyway." Jaune shrugged.

"…I see."

"So, where are we in terms of mission progress? How much further before we can pack up and leave?" Jaune asked. Oobleck picked up his rather blasé attempt to change topics, but made no comments in regards to it.

"It's getting dark soon. We'll finish dinner first, then go over the details before we turn in for the night."

* * *

Night fell on the city of Midgard, and its denizens retreated into their abodes, retiring for the night. Streetlights, powered by both electricity and traditional fire, lit the empty avenues, with quietude as the only companion during the late hours, when all others fell to peaceful slumbers.

And yet, one person, cloaked in the darkness of the night stalked past. A man, given the height and broadness of his shoulders. His lumbering footsteps echoed as he slipped into an alleyway, at the end which lied a plain door, unassuming in its appearances. With a glance behind his back to see if there were any unwanted eyes tailing him, he disappeared through the door, as if he was never there.

"You're late," came a deep baritone of a male, the tone sharp with ire.

"I had a bit of a trouble sneaking past the guards," the hulking man droned, removing his coat. "I could've arrived much earlier if I could simply force my way through."

"Lady Salem's orders were clear; do nothing to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves," Watts said as a reminder. "But no matter, our business in this city is almost done. Now come, I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here. Inside, Hazel."

Hazel followed Watts deeper into the dwelling, into a room cluttered with bits of machinery and electronics. Stacks of books were stashed to one corner of the room, though what drew the big man's attention was an object placed on the table in the centre of the room. It was a device, and a strange one at that.

"The fruits of my labour," announced Watts, pride thick in his voice. "After countless days of research, experimentation, and numerous failures, I do believe I have created a functioning model."

"This… device, will it truly work as you intended it to?" Hazel asked with more than a hint of doubt. "No man can control the Grimm, no more than he can bend the weather to his will. You know of this."

"Lady Salem's different."

"She is not of this world, so of course that's to be expected. But this-"

"-will work. This machine has been tested, modified when needed. Why do you think so many settlements around Remnant was overrun by Grimm recently?" Watts asked.

It took a moment for that to settle in Hazel's mind. "Those towns and villages, so it was you and your invention that was responsible for it all, then?"

Watts scoffed. "Not all, certainly not. There's no changing Grimm's destructive instincts. All I did was to simply… _direct_ them to a suitable outlet. Provide them a target, so to speak, and let them kill and rampage as they are wont to do."

Hazel nodded in approval. "Quite ingenious. I'll pass the technicalities and skip straight to the point. What do you intend to do with your machine now?"

"I shall leave it in Lady Salem's care, and let her to use it however she sees fit. Before that, however, I was hoping for, well, a bigger, more grand demonstration of sorts." Watts' eyes twinkled with glee. "This city, Midgard, is considered to have significant historical values by the kingdom. What better sight than to see it burn to the ground?"

Hazel paused, deep in thought. When he re-surfaced, he said, "it won't be easy. The walls are tall and thick, and houses many Hunters and soldiers. On top of that, it's protected by layers of shields. Would that not interfere with your machine's signal?"

Watts smiled deviously. "Walls can be easily broken, and Hunters are by no means infallible. You do raise a fair point with the shields, however. So here's something I want you to do…"

* * *

 **A/N: Holy crap, this chapter took ages to finish, and not just because of the monstrous word count (12000+ words!), but because my damn laptop died on me a couple of times, before I could save the documents. Suffice to say there was much frustration and re-writes, but I finally managed to complete it.**

 **I had a lot I wanted to write in this chapter, as it was both teams' first official missions. As students, perhaps, but still, it was their first taste of what to expect in the real world, away from the comforts and safety of civilisation, though mostly for team RALY than WNBN. It was also a way to point out that even though their professions expect them to fight and kill Grimm, Hunters' roles have somewhat radically changed to take on additional roles in modern societies, like guard duties. Heck, in canon, Sun and Neptune (where the hell did his other teammates go anyway?) work as detectives for a time? Junior, assistants, whatever.**

 **Mountain Glenn is another promising setting in the story that I personally feel wasn't covered well enough in canon. A city that big, and by the looks of it was more or less completed before it fell to ruin, there's bound to be some background stories behind it. And what about that underground city-like area? The underground metro system? There's just so much potential for background lore, but little of it was covered, so I decided to spin my own designs and ideas with the setting, like how I do with pretty much every story elements of RWBY thus far. Hopefully I did a decent job depicting the city of Mountain Glenn.**

 **On a completely unrelated side-note, I just found out that I share the same birth date as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. Shorties for the win! In any case, the books are really great. If you haven't tried it, give it a read.**

 **Also, Merry (albeit belated) Christmas! And an early Happy New Years greetings!**


	19. Act 2: Chapter 10

**ACT 2: Beneath the City**

* * *

 _Okay, just set it up here, and… done! I can never seem to get this thing calibrated right, for God's sake._

 _Anyways, we're nearly twelve months into construction of Mountain Glenn, and everything's going as planned. Already there are people settling down here, close to a few tens of thousands! I remember back in the first few months where it was just us and the builders, and it was mostly just tents and camper vans. Ah, how time flies!_

 _And speaking of time, I still can't get over how they just easily dismissed my proposal! I understand this is a good place to build a city, but it was still a valuable historical site! Ruins of ancient civilisations! We have very little records of humanity's past, and those brainless, uncultured politicians want to smash it all down anyway! I understand progress is important, but so too, is preserving the past! How can humanity hope to move forward, without learning the roots of our origins? Uncultured louts I say, uncultured! Barbarians!_

 _At least I managed to capture snapshots of the ruins before they smashed it down. I'll be sure to include them in my book, perhaps before I add in the segments about the beginning of Mountain Glenn and its progression. A very old, even primitive, civilisation, judging by their lack of proper language and lots of figures and pictures. Quite disturbing, too. Strange drawings of stranger creatures. I thought they were Grimm at first, but these images, if they were truly about Grimm, then I recognise none of it. And they're everywhere, on the walls, carved into the tree trunk, even on the ground like marks. Kind of reminds me of those ward runes I found in the excavation site in Mistral a few years back. That was a very enjoyable trip, even if we had to fend off all those Flyers on the way._

 _Anyways, these images, why did the people imprint them everywhere? What for? Was it like a cult activity? An act of reverence? Perhaps a warning?_

 _Ah, perhaps I'm overthinking. It's been a long tiring day, and I'd best get some rest. They're roping us into helping them with construction and I just know I'll need my sleep. Still, once Mountain Glenn is complete, I look forward to see it in all its glory, for it'll be the proof of human resilience and achievement._

 **-Audio log #82**

* * *

One good thing Jaune learned about his Crocea Mors, apart from its unnatural sharpness, was the fact that it never dulled. The stories he has heard from his father about the Arc ancestors and their feats on battlefields with the famed blade seemed closer to being a myth than a reality, like how it was able to cleave through even the toughest of Grimm with ease, how not even the flow of time could touch its mysterious yet masterful craftsmanship. One particular story even told of the time when it radiated light so powerful that hordes of Grimm were routed back.

As a child, he simply shrugged it off, writing it off as a mere exaggeration to heroic deeds of his forefathers. Now, deep in the former-city-turned-ground-zero, he was glad that he at least carried a powerful weapon to defend himself with, even if there was still a nagging thought dwelling in the recess of his mind that reminded him how such a powerful blade was wasted on someone like him.

In any case, it just meant that in terms of maintenance, there was very little to do, except maybe cleansing it of Grimm blood slain by the legacy of the Arcs. Unfortunately, his shield was a different story. Admittedly Ruby did a splendid job in putting it back together (how she managed to do so he didn't know), but however durable the vanadium alloy was, it was still susceptible to wear and tear of prolonged skirmishes. Already scratches adorned its surface, and one corner of his shield was dented inwards, courtesy of the one Alpha Beowolf he had to take down with Ruby's ranged support.

"Say…" Yang suddenly spoke up, setting down her Ember Celica after cleaning it. "Did Oobleck ask you guys about, y'know, why you wanted to be Hunters?"

Ren looked up from his StormFlower, which was dismantled and placed on the ground in an orderly arrangement. Putting down the oily cloth and the gun barrel, he simply answered, "He did."

Yang and Jaune watched him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, Yang huffed impatiently. "And? What did you tell him?"

"I told him it wasn't something I was comfortable disclosing. We dropped the conversation there." He resumed cleaning his guns, much to her annoyance.

"What about you, Yang?" Jaune hastily asked.

"For me, it was mostly for adventure," Yang replied with a small frown. "I'm a thrill junkie, always was even as a kid. I always wanted to travel around Remnant, explore different continents, that sort of thing. 'Course, with Remnant being what it is, that's practically impossible unless you were strong enough to take care of yourself out there. Being a Huntress was pretty much the only option I had, so I signed up."

She paused then, with a troubled look on her face. She said nothing more, and Jaune cocked his head in confusion. "Uh, Yang?"

"There's more to it, I'm guessing?" Ren quietly observed. He didn't flinch when Yang's hard gaze turned on him, before she cast her eyes downward in resignation.

"Yeah, but it's not something I'm comfortable disclosing." Jaune didn't miss the intentional choice of wordings, and he was certain Ren didn't either.

"Do you really want me to tell you?"

"We don't want to impose or anything," Yang huffed.

Ren sighed. "Oobleck may be our professor, but for all intents and purposes, he's a stranger. Of course I'd be hesitant about sharing anything personal."

"But it's okay with us?" Jaune asked.

The adept nodded. "We've been on the same team for almost a year now. I think I can trust you both to keep it between us. And Ruby too, if she was here," Ren finished as he cast his eyes above.

"Of course we will," Yang said firmly, though her visage warmed at his admission.

Clearing his throat, Ren began. "All of you are already aware of my background history, and Nora's too, for that matter."

Jaune and Yang nodded in acknowledgement. As a team they've had their fair share of discussions regarding more 'personal' matters. They knew that Yang and Ruby lost their mothers, that Ren was an orphan, and Jaune was more or less estranged from his family. However, each and every one of them were careful not to tell everything. Teammates they were, and friends they may have been, but never close enough to share everything.

Until now, perhaps. Neither expected the introverted Easterner to completely open up to others, but given how guarded he usually was, it was safe to assume that they were the select few who ever got close to the last of the Lie clan, and the implication was not lost on either of them.

"There's this city in Mistral, called Oniyuri. Well, not exactly a city, since it was never completed. It's a lot like Mountain Glenn, an attempt of expansion, to further kingdom's reach over the continent from the Grimm."

Yang and Jaune shared a look, neither aware of the place in question. Then something hit Jaune. "When you say it was a lot like Mountain Glenn…"

"What happened here, happened to Oniyuri." Ren looked out the window, a forlorn look settling on his face. Realisation dawned on his two friends, and Yang softly asked, "Your family…?"

"I watched my parents die," Ren said, his voice devoid of emotion. "The caretakers in the orphanage thought I was too young to remember, and I didn't want to correct them."

"I-I'm sorry…" Yang quietly said, while Jaune remained silent.

"It's alright. It's still… but I've had years to come to terms with it. And the caretakers were very kind and sympathetic. They weren't my family, but they were the only people who were closest to being one."

A faint hint of smile graced his face as he recalled his childhood. Tragic as his story was, he wasn't the only child who lost everything that day. Considering how he was one of the only few who survived the slaughter, his circumstances wasn't the worst.

"And that's where you met Nora?" Jaune cautiously ventured, not comfortable with the topic of family. At the same time, he didn't want to trivialise Ren's past, nor was he intending on doing so.

Fortunately his attempt worked, as Ren turned back to his friends with a slight fondness in his eyes. "Yes. I already told you about how we first met."

Yang smirked a little at that. "Oh yeah, the bit where she pushed you around, calling you a sissy and all that?"

Ren nodded. "She was a rowdy girl back then. Quite a tomboy, too. She didn't understand why I kept my hair long, even though I was a boy."

Jaune whistled. "Child version of Nora, huh? Bet she was a riot."

"She was. She kept pulling on my hair and picked on me. I let her have her fill of pushing before I pushed back." Introverted as he was, he wasn't one to back down when someone antagonised him. Losing parents at an early age, the tragic turn of events taught him many things, one of which was instilling him with the idea that he was fundamentally alone, with no one to turn to for help or guidance. He had to look out for himself, since there was no one left who could.

In a strange twist of events, this sudden show of resistance changed the then-child Nora's perspective of the young Eastern Mistralian. From there on their relationship grew to what it was today.

Yang shook her head in mirth. She was all-too familiar with the childish behaviour of picking on someone they liked, having done exactly that to a boy she once crushed on in her tweens. That wasn't to say there was a parallel between her own actions with that of child Nora's, but she couldn't think of Nora as someone who was genuinely cruel, much less towards someone she harboured feelings for.

And Ren, academically brilliant and intellectual as he was, seemed rather ignorant of it all, merely passing off Nora's gestures as platonic instead of romantic. Watching the drama unfold was always a blast, and with Jaune-Pyrrha's dual acts thrown in to the mix, the entertainment value went up a notch.

Her smile fading, she took a moment to go over Ren's revelation. "Is that why you wanted to become a Huntsman?"

Ren looked away, his hands restless as he fidgeted. They didn't press him, just patiently waiting for him to carry on or end the conversation there.

Eventually, their patience was rewarded when he sighed. "My parents were good people, but that didn't save them from the Grimm. Being a Hunter, learning how to fight, that was the only way I could keep myself alive. That's why I joined."

He said no more, and wordlessly tossed a handful of flint to the fire, feeding its flame. Silence settled over the three Regalities for a full minute, before Yang cleared her throat, looking a tad uncomfortable as she did so. "When you said I had another reason, you're right. It wasn't just for adventures, there was something else."

"Go on," Ren quietly encouraged.

Yang nodded. "You guys know about our mother, right?"

Jaune crossed his arms, head angled up with a contemplative look. Family wasn't their most popular choice of conversation topic, so his recollection in that regards was scarce. Eventually a name popped up in his mind. "Summer?"

"Yeah, Summer Rose. Ruby's mom. She didn't pop me out, but she treated me like she did, and I thought of her as my real mom, too." The blunt manner of delivery couldn't disguise the warmth as she recalled the pleasant woman with no small amount of fondness. Then her lips thinned, as old, bitter memories soured her mood. "Which is more than what I can say for the woman who actually did."

"Your real mother?" Ren asked. Yang's face stiffened before it withered to simmering bitterness.

"'Mother'…" she uttered the word, snorting in derision. "She abandoned me the day I was born, just walked out and never looked back. Mother of the year, that one."

"Yang…"

"I want to travel around Remnant. Not just for all that adventure crap, but also to find the woman and ask why she left." Yang cracked her knuckles as if to emphasise her point. "And beat it out of her if I have to."

The atmosphere became heavier after Yang finished. Both males felt sympathy for the firebrand of the team, yet didn't know how to comfort her, if she ever wanted their sympathy in the first place at all. The pain was all too palpable, and it was apparent that it still hurt her to this day, the wound festering, weeping, never fully closing.

Time, it seemed, didn't heal all the wounds.

"Ah fuck, getting too soft in here. C'mon Jaune, your turn to spill!" Yang whirled on him with a finger and a grin so transparent it was obvious to all in the room that it was forced.

Jaune just scratched his head with a sheepish look. "Sorry to disappoint, but there's not much to tell. I was just on the tour airship heading to Beacon when it crash-landed in Emerald Forest. Then Initiation happened and, well, here we are."

Neither Ren nor Yang were satisfied with his simple summary, given the narrowing of their eyes. With a heavy sigh Jaune decided to take the plunge. Ren and Yang shared their share of personal histories they kept close to themselves, it wouldn't have been fair for him to not do the same.

That, and the two students before him were his teammates, friends. They survived the horrors of the Initiation together, faced down the Wyvern Grimm together (with their sister team, WNBN), and now, they were deeply entrenched in the middle of Grimm-infested ruins, far from the safety of civilisation. Given all that they've gone through together, he was certain he could trust them not to judge him for his past actions, or attempts, rather.

"You guys know that I'm from this lineage of war heroes and what-not," Jaune began, his voice starting to wobble, "so you can at least imagine that we have this kind of standard to live up to. Badass warriors and all that good stuff.

"My sisters… well, not all of them chose to become Huntresses. Some took different career paths, like a nurse, or a lawyer. The ones that did become Huntresses all made a name for themselves, the strongest, my eldest sister, Iris, earning the title of a Venatrix the moment she graduated from Beacon."

Yang's soft gasp was the extent of her response to that revelation. Though she didn't know much of their history, she knew that Venator's Guild only took on the crème de la crème of the four prestigious Academy graduates around Remnant, where they were given further special training. The invitation prerequisites were nothing short of top grades across all levels of curriculum, including extensive field records. The title of a Venator or a Venatrix was the highest status a Hunter could attain, something many aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses across the world could only dream of, with only a handful actually succeeding.

Jaune leaned back, gazing at the ceiling with a hollow smile. "My other sisters weren't as talented, but they were leagues above their own peers. Scholarships, valedictorians, cream of the crop. All in all, they were the pride and joy of the Arc family."

Ren had an idea where this was going, and waited for the bomb to drop. He didn't have to wait long, as Jaune continued. "Then there was me, the village idiot. Very much average in everything, clumsy, and I also stuttered a lot because I was so shy as a kid. My parents kinda gave up on training me, and didn't budge even after I asked them over and over again. We kinda grew apart, so I moved out to stay with one of my uncle. I hoped that he'd teach me, but he told me he's given up the life as a Hunter," Jaune shook his head. "Really motivating, I know. Still, living with him wasn't too bad, though I spent more time doing odd jobs here and there than actually learning how to wield a sword."

"Why didn't you go back?" Yang asked.

Jaune chuckled. "Back where? To my parents?"

"They're your family, aren't they?" Ren commented. To those who knew him well, they would've been able to discern the slight trace of coldness in his usual tone. Until now, Nora was the only person who did know him well.

As such, the slight contempt went unnoticed, and neither Jaune nor Yang were any wiser.

Jaune looked away with a strange expression. It wasn't long before they saw it for what it was; regret, guilt.

"Back then, I was a stupid kid. A stupid kid who thought the world revolved around his selfish ass. Damn too proud for my own good, too. 'How could I crawl back to my parents after everything I said?' was the one thing that kept me from going back. So I didn't."

"And now?" Yang crossed her arms, her face and tone neutral. Jaune wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Now," Jaune slowly said, "I'm… I'm planning on it. Eventually. After I graduate and become an official Huntsman, I'll visit them. I'll show them that even _I_ could be someone my family could be proud of."

Fire burned in his eyes as he finished, his hand resting on his family's legacy. "I swear I will."

* * *

When Ruby came down from her watch, she found her Regality trio tucked under their respective sleeping bags, though not yet asleep, all with unreadable, contemplative looks. Yang had her scroll out, while Ren stared blankly at the ceiling, clearly lost in his own thoughts.

"Did I… miss something, or…?"

"Hey sis. Nah, it's nothing. Just hungry," Yang replied casually.

Ruby turned to her sister, sceptical. She knew when Yang was hiding something, as her voice wobbled just a bit, no matter how she tried to fake it. As a young child, Ruby would cling on to her sister until she spilled whatever she was keeping a secret, but now, as a young adult, all she did was simply nod. She'd wait until one of them talked, if they wanted to.

Jaune stood up, picking up his sword and shield with him as he moved to take over the watch duty.

"It's cold up there, so take a blanket," Ruby said as she unzipped her sleeping bag.

"Thanks for the heads up, but I'll be fine." Jaune gave her a quick smile as he pulled up the hoods. The crunch of gravel beneath boots trailed after him as he climbed up the stairs, and the door creaked close behind him.

Yawning, Ruby unlatched the clasp of her cloak, and neatly folded it into a bundle, placing it on the ground next to her, beneath her Crescent Rose. Burrowing into her sleeping roll, she rubbed her hands together, sighing happily when her body began to warm up.

"Night, sis," Ruby gently called as she closed her eyes.

"Night, Rubes," Yang replied back, putting her scroll down. Turning to her side, she watched her sister as she slowly drifted to sleep, quietly snoozing in the way that could only be described as 'cute', prompting a silent laugh from the blonde. It was one of Ruby's sleeping habits when she was a kid, and it seemed like that hasn't changed.

Yang felt her smile fade. No, Ruby was still a child, both physically and mentally. Granted, the ordeal she went through in the depths of Emerald Forest and the brutal run-in with the Death Stalker in the middle of its lunch had some impact on her younger sister's outlook on life, but even so Ruby was still very much a child, naïve, and hopelessly optimistic. Her desire to be a Huntress and protect people from Grimm was a testament to her youth and inexperience in the ways of life. While a noble goal, it was mostly born out of romanticised ideals rather than real life cause.

Yang shuffled herself closer, until she was lying next to Ruby. Cautiously, the fighter wrapped her arm around Ruby in a half hug, placing a gentle kiss on her head. Her dear sister, clumsy, cute, endearing sister, youngest of the team yet shouldering the burden as a leader, and the only one out of the four who joined the Academy for altruistic purposes. And by God, Yang hoped Ruby never changed.

* * *

Jaune was roused from his sleep when he felt the floor he slept on vibrated. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he realised, with growing horror, that it was not just the floor, but rather the whole building that was shaking badly. The building's decrepit, weakened infrastructure certainly didn't help, and when bits and pieces of the ceiling rained down on them, there was very little hesitation when Oobleck yelled at them to quickly jump outside.

A leap from a third floor above the ground was enough to severely injure a normal person, or worse if they were unlucky with their landing strategy. With Aura, the slight flare of pain on his legs was the only damage his body suffered, disappearing as fast as they came.

Then he lost his balance and landed on his rear. It was then he realised the very earth was shaking. "The hell? An earthquake?"

"No, it's-" Oobleck was cut off when one of the ruined skyscrapers in the distance cracked under the pressure, collapsing on itself in a shower of mortar and wood, kicking up a large cloud of dust. The buildings within its vicinity also started to collapse, like domino tiles, knocking over the next and the next, and the next, until the wave of destruction was approaching them in tides of dust and stone.

The ground beneath them cracked, the city's remains crashing down around them. Oobleck shouted something, though it was drowned under the thunderous roar of the earth splitting apart. Amidst the confusion Jaune lost sight of his teammates, too focused on keeping himself firmly on the ground and avoiding parts of the ground that was sinking below. The earthquake was intensifying in magnitude, and Jaune spent more time floundering about than on his feet.

Then, like a volcanic eruption, something colossal, something monstrous surged through the breaking earth, cocooned completely in white exoskeleton, yellow markings running through its legless body, crowning its faceless head. Angling down it burrowed back into the ground, though Jaune swore as it did so, he saw its gaping maw, lined with rings of barb-like teeth. As it disappeared beneath the ground, so too, did the destruction dwindle.

"What the… the fuck just happened?" Yang yelled in blind anger and confusion. She wasn't alone in that sentiment, though others were just too shocked at the sudden whirlwind of destruction that their conscience had trouble wrapping around the incident that just transpired.

"That-" was as far as Oobleck went, before the earth exploded once more, the giant wurm-like Grimm resurfacing. Jaune felt an odd sensation of flying as air whipped past him, before gravity took its hold on him, dragging him down right into the waiting maw of mother earth, straight into darkness.

* * *

It was a quiet night that fell on the village of Elrit, sequestered in the rural parts of Vale's borders, far from the capital and other major cities. The long distance, the sprawling woods and the small hills that surrounded the place deterred many from ever setting the foot in the place, save for occasional travellers with wanderlust and Hunters whenever the village raised alarm in times of danger. The recent surges in Grimm outbreaks meant a great cut in transportation between settlements, it also meant Huntsmen and Huntresses were kept busy, responding to emergency beacon signals across the continent, mostly from rural villages that lacked the same kind of defensive capabilities larger cities had.

Elrit was much the same, until the White Fang took over the management. It had been a rather smooth and bloodless affair, save for the town's sheriff who tried to resist. His brutal public execution quickly quashed any further attempts of resistance, and the very next day Adam strode into the village that was now his to do as he wished.

The first thing he has done was to cut off the village from rest of the kingdom. Communication lines, roadways, all were cut off. No one was going in or out without his explicit permission. The few residents who tried to discreetly call for help were immediately identified and apprehended, meeting the same fate their former sheriff did, their severed heads placed in the centre of the town as a reminder.

Thoroughly intimidated by the sheer brutality, the remaining townsfolk could do nothing except obediently comply. Almost all able-bodied villagers, men and women, were forced to work, some tending to the farms while others took on various menial tasks.

If there was one good thing that came out of it all, it was that the village was safe from the Grimm, and the occasional band of raiders. The White Fang didn't do so out of goodness of their hearts, rather simply guarding their base and the workers that sustained it.

Sienna Khan was returning from one such hunt, trudging behind her a small platoon of Trackers. They were sent to track down a King Taijitu that terrorised the locals in the fields, killing two farmers and injuring more with its venom. After hours of scouring the woods, Sienna and her team finally managed to find its lair, a clearing in the woods with decomposed bits of flesh littering the area. After a brief but furious struggle it slumped over, dead, though not before biting one of her squad member in half, and severely wounding another. The injured soldier expired mere moments later, the poison working fast.

With a flick of her head the guards stationed on the gate let them pass. The villagers kept their eyes on the ground as they meandered past, though Sienna paid them no heed, as her gaze lingered on the small monastery that stood on the other side of the village. Once a place of Catholic faith, now it served as temporary headquarters for the White Fang extremists, and in the chapel where Sunday masses were held and prayers uttered, murderers, terrorists, and criminals convened to plan for further death and destruction. The iron wrought cross was taken down from its fixtures on the wall, haphazardly tossed into a corner, while the altar were used as a couch.

Nearing the gate, Sienna briefly glanced at the priest who hung limply from the rooftop with a noose around his neck, the decaying corpse of the man who once devoted his life to God swaying gently in the breeze like a broken puppet. She shook her head, but like the rest of the White Fang simply shrugged it off. Tyrian's sadistic streaks were a league of their own, and coming from a den of hardened criminals and mass-murderers amongst the organisation, that was saying something.

The meeting was already under way, all talks ceasing as they turned to see the newcomer. Sneers and frowns were the extent of their acknowledgement of her presence.

"Sienna," Adam grunted, gesturing for her to take her place in the circle. "Anything to report?"

"It's done. Hopefully that'll keep those country bumpkins from whining for a while," the cat Faunus grouched. She was never fond of humans, even before she joined the White Fang.

Adam nodded, then turned his attention back to the meeting. A red-skinned girl cleared her throat, directing all attention to herself. "Now, as I was saying before I was _rudely interrupted,_ " the girl shot Sienna a dirty look as she enunciated, "we've lost contact with our branches in Atlas. The last transmission from our base in Asgard was chaotic, but from what we could pick up, it seems like they were being routed one after another."

"Atlas," one White Fang officer hissed.

"Quite. And the Venators were found to be spearheading the operation, with generous backing from those bastard Schnee's. Their eldest daughter, Winter, was also seen leading Atlesian soldiers, and personally levelled several bases on her own."

Adam frowned, glaring daggers at the holographic image of the Venatrix behind his mask. He hasn't forgotten that day in Forever Falls, where he crossed blades with the insufferable bitch and lost, and as a consequence landed him down the path of torture. His hand inched closer to the bony stump where one of his horns once sat.

"So we find her and tear her to pieces. Her and the rest of Atlesian scums!" The table shook as Brylls the Bear slammed his fist. One of the few to survive the ambush in Forever Falls, he was captured alive and taken to a remote prison compound run by Valean Council, placed in a cell right next to Lowe the Lion's. During the chaos of the prison outbreak he escaped, and partook in massacring the Valean soldiers and wardens stationed in the compound, before re-joining the White Fang under Adam's rule.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind? These are fucking Venators we're up against! They wiped out our Atlas branches and they did it in a single bloody week!" The sneer the red-skinned girl directed at the bulky Faunus was borderline condescending. "Did you lose what little brain cells you had after the humans put you in a cage?"

The bear Faunus bolted to his feet, bellowing in rage. The imminent violence that would've most likely followed the insult was quickly forestalled by Adam as he glared the Faunus down. "Enough."

Brylls grunted as he reluctantly stepped down, though he continued to glower daggers at the female chameleon Faunus. Despite the obvious disadvantages of physical proportions, Ilia returned the glare challengingly.

Ignoring their stares, Adam spoke, "Ilia is right. With Atlas tightening its borders and the Venators running amok, we won't be able to establish any solid foothold in the kingdom." Turning to the chameleon Faunus he said, "Inform our sleeper agents to lay low and simply observe for now. Cease all other activities in Atlas."

"Will do, sir." The infiltrator saluted.

With a curt nod, he addressed the rest of the convention. "What of Torchwick? Any words from our squads in Mountain Glenn?"

"Preparations are almost done. Just another day or two, and, well, Midgard's in for a little surprise." Vicious grins and harsh barks of laughter were shared around the table as Sienna purred.

"Good. We'll proceed with our plans afterwards. Dismissed."

One by one, the White Fang officers rose and left, though Sienna remained on her seat, as did Adam. Ilia shot her a suspicious look, to which the feline Faunus replied in kind with the finger without turning. The irate Infiltrator had a few choice words to impart on her fellow specialist, though the organisation leader's presence prevented her from voicing them out loud. Mentally cursing the cat Faunus, Ilia stomped off, leaving the two in the chapel.

"What else did you find?" Adam asked after a moment of silence.

"You were right in that Cinder wasn't the ringleader. She answers to some woman named Salem. I'm betting Tyrian does, too."

The bladesman steepled his fingers, his face darkening. He wasn't comfortable with the idea of collaborating with an unknown figure, and the fact that Cinder failed to mention anything of the sort told volumes about the kinds of secret the cunning woman closely guarded. They were being kept in the dark, intentionally so. Whatever Cinder, or her mysterious overlord was planning, it didn't bode well for him and his people.

"Who is this… Salem person?"

"I don't know, we haven't managed to get any more than that."

Adam's frown deepened. "Both Cinder and Tyrian… if so, we can assume those two 'acquaintances' of Cinder's are also involved."

"I don't like this," Sienna declared.

"Neither do I. We're being used, and we don't even know who's the one pulling the strings here," Adam said with bitterness.

"What should we do?"

Adam stood up. "Keep a close eye on them, all of them. Anything you find, report back to me immediately. If they've got any plans for us, I must know."

"Will do, sir."

* * *

When consciousness returned to him, he found himself in darkness. Moonlight spilled through the small crack between the ceiling overhead, just enough for him to make out the mound of impassable rubble to his back.

Like a slap across the face, bits and pieces of recollection flooded his mind. The earth beneath the city shaking and splitting, the monstrous creature, and him falling and falling, deeper into the ground.

"Ah crap…"

He couldn't recall anything else. He didn't know where his friends were, or even if they were dead or alive. Fumbling for his scroll, his fingers only grasped empty air. Too late, he realised it was left behind in the building when it came crashing down from the earthquake. His armour and supplies were also lost, and the only thing he had with him were the clothes on his back and his sword and shield.

Terror began to gnaw his stomach as the gravity of the situation hit him. He had no way of contacting anyone for help. He felt vulnerable, naked, without the comforting weight of his plate armour, and for the first time in a long while, he never felt so alone as he was now.

 **"Alone…"** came the whisper, soft like a breeze.

"Shut up," Jaune hissed, though he wasn't sure who it was directed at.

The bodiless voice cackled, fading into the pitch black darkness that loomed ahead, the only path left for him to take. The top of the tunnel was far too high up for him to reach, the pile of debris impossible to climb. Staying wasn't going to change anything, especially without any means of sending SOS signal. He knew this, and yet…

He swallowed, feeling the lump in his throat. The underground metro tunnels beneath Mountain Glenn was abandoned for many years. Completely shrouded in darkness, who knew what manner of foul beings dwelled down here? It was the fear of the unknown that paralysed him, keeping his feet rooted on the spot, taking what little comfort he could from the single ray of moonlight through the crack overhead.

Mustering what courage he could, he steeled his resolve. He couldn't afford to let fear take hold of him. He had to find a way out of here, find his friends and Oobleck, and return to Beacon by whatever means necessary. Even if it meant braving the darkness.

With a deep breath, he slowly walked forward. Blindly fumbling the darkness, his hand gained purchase on the wall to his right. Hugging the wall to his right, he descended deeper and deeper into the unknown, while the ray of light behind him grew thinner and thinner until they were no more than a white streak on an inky black canvas.

The wall to his right suddenly came to an end. Startled, he squinted his eyes, barely making out the forked tunnels that yawned ahead. It was impossible to tell where they led, he could barely see his own hands even if he waved them right before his eyes.

With an annoyed grunt Jaune leaned against the wall, rubbing his eyes. Trying to recall the outlines of the underground metro network was impossible, given its labyrinthine layouts. And if what Oobleck said before was true, then some of these tunnels could very well lead him to dead ends, whether as a result of incomplete construction or collapsed tunnels, like the one from earlier. It only fed the apprehension that was growing inside him.

"Fuck it. Not like I've got much options, anyway." Gathering himself, Jaune strode through the tunnel on the left, sliding his hand over the wall of the tunnel to serve as his guide.

In the deep bowels of the earth where no light existed, vision was not the only thing that one lost. Time itself seemed to stop, or perhaps caught in a perpetual loop, as Jaune felt like he had walked for at least a good hour or two, the tunnel continuing to stretch forward, never stopping. The already stale air was getting thicker, more humid, and reeked of aged mould and filth. It was similar to the half-decomposed elk carcass he found in the woods when he was a child, except much worse.

Distracted by the nauseating stench, he missed the sound of something shuffling ahead. It wasn't until he saw something bright red hovering in mid-air did he stop, and stared.

The red flickered, staring back. Then another flickered on, then another, then another, until at least dozens of bright red dots, no, _eyes_ , stared back.

Jaune cried out in terror, sword drawn and shield open. The mass cluster of eyes slowly moved forward, each one blinking independently. The red glows left phantom trails behind in a mesmerising manner, and Jaune, despite screaming at himself to run, froze, drawn by its almost hypnotic gaze.

Then came the bone-chilling shriek.

Jaune found himself yanked off his feet, tethered to the unidentifiable horror by its tendrils. The creature whipped out and threw him against the wall, hard. His Aura flared in response, giving him a brief glimpse of the nightmarish abomination that moved in for the kill, its impossibly wide maw lined with knife-like teeth.

Yelling in terror, Jaune rushed on his feet, tripping over when the Grimm ensnared him by his leg again, this time reeling him in closer and closer, like one would with a fishing line. He clawed the earth in desperation, though it did little to deter the Grimm as it closed in on its prey, likely the first in many years. In such close proximity, Jaune nearly passed out when he caught a whiff of its foul, malodorous breath. It reminded him of decayed corpses, albeit much worse.

With little options left, he tried to swing his sword, hoping to carve a deep line or sever its hold on his leg. Almost as if reading his moves, the eldritch Grimm swatted it out of his grip and on to the ground below, where it clanged against the corroded remains of railroad works.

"NO!" Jaune struggled with renewed strength, fueled by rush of adrenaline that kicked in when death was imminent. Gripping his sheath, it snapped open and he battered it against the Grimm, however futile his efforts were. The Grimm shrieked when he struck its eyes, and it promptly responded by clamping its unholy maws around his shield, its teeth easily ripping into vanadium construct. It didn't stop there, as the Grimm bit down on his arm, trapping him in place.

Jaune cried out, his Aura doing little to shield him from the sensation of tearing muscle and bones. His steel gauntlet, like his shield, yielded under its forceful bite and sharp teeth.

It was a bitter struggle. Jaune tried to yank his arms from its jaws, to no avail. His Aura was fast dwindling, and it wasn't long before its protection fell. The Grimm would easily bite off his arms, before moving on to devouring the rest of him.

It was a scream of mad desperation and defiance that escaped his lips, echoing through the tunnels devoid of light. His Aura was dimming, and so too, was his consciousness. Nevertheless he still struggled, punching the Grimm with his wild haymakers, even gripping one of its tentacle eyes and pulling on it, until it ripped. The Grimm let out a high-pitched scream of pain, releasing Jaune.

Landing painfully on his wounds, Jaune crawled to where his sword lay, barely visible by the white pulsating flares of his Aura. His fingers wrapping around the hilt, he rolled on his back just as the Grimm descended upon him with its gaping maw.

What followed next was a maelstrom of chaotic bursts of images and voices in his head, incomprehensible to decipher as to what they were. The one thing he could recognise was the twin crescent moon of Arc family's insignia, burning white and expanding until everything turned white.

He wasn't aware he had his eyes closed, but when he opened them, it was to a glowing light that shone in the darkness of the underground tunnel. The eldritch Grimm was shuffling back, eyes cast down, almost as if it was afraid. With a screech it backpedalled until the darkness beyond the light's reach swallowed it up, and silence returned as if the Grimm was never there in the first place.

Panting in exertion, Jaune retrieved his weapons, made easy by the ambient light. It took a moment to realise the source of said light; staring at his hands, legs, he realised it was him. _He_ was radiating light.

"Whoa…"

Part of him wondered how, or even why. But the more rational part of his mind reminded him of his current situation, and pushed the 'how' bit to the backburners for later perusal. The ominous growls bouncing off the walls in the distance only solidified the urgency to move.

Retracing his step back to the forked path, he took the right tunnel this time. However it happened, he was ever so thankful for the ability, as it made navigating the metro tunnels a lot easier. It also lit up his surroundings, and for the first time he was able to take a closer look at the effect time had on the abandoned tunnels.

The railway lines were buried under dust and sand, covered in rust. Jagged cracks raced across the walls, bare metal rods and frames sticking out like exposed skeletal parts. There were actual bones that occasionally littered the path, a few skulls in fragments with one half intact. Former citizens of the city, he mused grimly, or what remained of them. Forcing himself to look away, he re-focused on the tunnel ahead, on the path he was on. He also noticed that the light he was radiating was growing dimmer, weaker. At the same time, he felt the trace of exhaustion slowly kicking in.

The ways which one could monitor their Aura levels were neither direct nor accurate. The most straightforward method involved tracking Aura via their scrolls, though it wasn't without its share of inaccuracies, as the sensors only recorded the Aura levels by the emission level at the moment the reading was taken, while excluding various fluctuations and other possible errors. There was also the glaringly obvious fact that without the scroll it was impossible to get such readings.

Another, simpler and more primitive method was to simply gauge and assess one's physical state. Slow or impaired healing, visible wounds, fatigue, all served as implicating signposts for where one's Aura levels stood on the scale from full to downright zero. It wasn't a quantifiable means of measurement, rather an assessment from relative perspectives of what one considered as 'okay' and 'hurt like fuck'.

Right now, if he had to guess, he was sitting around closer to the 'hurt like fuck' end of the spectrum. "So, guess that fancy light show has to run on a battery like other flashlights, huh?" He mused just as the last spark of light faded, and the perpetual darkness returned. Semblance was powered with Aura. No Aura meant no Semblance. It wasn't hard to connect the dots.

He was brought out of his reverie when he heard something behind him, not the shuffling sound of something dragging on the ground, rather a pulsating throb that seemed other-worldly in origin. He wasn't sure whether he was seeing things due to the darkness, but it seemed to almost warp, leaving rippling marks from the centre as it whirled and throbbed. Then, out of nowhere, _something_ came out, dropping on the ground with a light thud and a yelp. A human, feminine yelp.

"Owww…"

Jaune gaped. He couldn't see, but he instantly recognised that voice. Hesitantly, he stepped closer to the dark outline of that _something_ or rather, _someone_.

"Ruby?"

* * *

When Oobleck came to, it was to a scene of devastation. Buildings reduced to mountains of rubble, clouds of dust wafting above from recent disruptions. The ground was split apart, torn from inside-out.

Shakily he rose, hurriedly surveying the area for potential signs of his students. He allowed himself a small sigh of relief when he saw Ren nearby, leaning against the wall for support, blood trickling down his face. They found Yang soon after, buried under a collapsed house, fortunately still alive and kicking, albeit with numerous cuts and bruises across her body.

"Wait, where's Ruby?" Yang asked as she helped Ren to his feet. "Ruby? Ruby!"

Silence was her only reply. Colour drained from Yang's face as panic slowly settled in. "Ruby? Where are you? Ruby!"

Something shuffled beneath the rubble on the edge of her periphery. Yang wasted little time diving towards the debris pile, her face lighting up in relief.

"Ruby! Hang tight, I'm getting you out!"

Ren moved towards Yang with the intent of lending a hand. He was only several feet away when she cleared the wreckage, relief swiftly turning to disbelief, then to fury as a Beowolf growled at its unintentional saviour. Yang was quick to rectify her mistake as she delivered a shotgun-fist to its head, blowing it to smithereens. The headless corpse of the Grimm fell before her feet, though the firebrand barely noticed, glancing about with desperate fervor for her sister.

"Ruby! RUBY!"

As if responding to her desperate cries, the earth trembled again. The stranded trio clung to whatever they could reach to anchor themselves firmly to the ground, as the earth split apart yet again, and the same colossal arthropodal Grimm from earlier emerged.

"Rlim Shaikorth…" Oobleck couldn't believe his eyes. Something that he has only seen in ancient scriptures and writing, a being that was believed to be a creation of fiction stood right before his eyes, as real and terrible as a nightmare personified. A nightmare that stood taller than the dilapidated skyscrapers around it, and its numerous eyes, beads of glowing red with rivulets of blood endlessly flowing down, zeroed in on something beyond the horizon.

Slowly, the massive Grimm sunk back down to the earth, groaning as it shifted towards its objective. It didn't take the bespectacled historian to work out where it was heading. A sense of dread slid down his back when he realised his scroll was damaged beyond repair.

"What the hell was _that_?!"

"Something that should not have existed," Oobleck replied flatly. "In any case, we need to find shelter."

"Whatever that is, it's heading towards the military outpost. Sir…" Ren trailed off when he too, saw the broken scroll.

With the tremor dying down, the historian and his two remaining charges wearily vacated the area, though it wasn't without bitter reluctance on Yang's part. Her sister's unknown fate was gnawing at her conscience, and she had half a mind to scream and yell. It was like the Emerald Forest all over again, only much worse.

The grim silence was shattered when an explosion resounded from the distance. They couldn't see the actual destruction itself, the view obstructed by skeletal ruins of the city around them, but the thick pillar of smoke rising into the air told them all they needed to know.

It was yet another blow to their already lacking morale; with the military base gone, there was no signal for them to use to broadcast a distress call, if any of them still had an intact scroll left. Two of their team was missing, and they themselves were in too much of a predicament to even mount a rescue mission, if they could ever find a way off this graveyard first, of course. And that was a big 'if'.

"They'd know, right?" Ren asked. "They'd know the outpost's gone dark. That-that would have to get them to send a search party or, or something. Right?"

The young Mistralian tried to keep his voice as level as possible, though it wasn't hard to miss that he was barely keeping himself together. A quick glance at Yang showed she too, was the same, torn between fear for her life and for her missing sister's.

Oobleck didn't know how to respond, after all what words of comfort could he give them now?

* * *

"Jaune?!"

Even in darkness, Jaune didn't need the light to see the look of bewilderment he was sure Ruby was giving him, and him her. They did fumble through the dark before their fingers brushed past one another, and guided themselves into the others' arms in relief. Jaune wasn't ashamed to admit that he was shedding more than a single tear, while Ruby was fully sobbing, if the growing patch of dampness on his shirt was of any indication.

They stayed that way for a while, if only to savour the friendly contact as their only anchor in this decrepit tomb. Eventually they broke off, though still stayed within an arm's reach.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I-I think so," Ruby sniffed. There was a pause and a sound of rustling clothes, then Ruby spoke up again, more composed this time. "It all just… everything just happened so fast, I can't really remember how, just that when I came around, everything was so dark I thought I've gone blind."

"That, or a terrible nightmare," Jaune added, shivering.

 **"One you can't wake up from. Ever."** The voice softly whispered in his ear.

Gritting his teeth, Jaune shook his head in an attempt to quell the voice. "Come on, let's try and find a way out. I've seen some of the freakiest Grimm I've ever seen in my life running around in these areas, and I'd rather not run into one again if I can help it."

"'Again'?" Ruby uttered next to him, her voice quivering. "You ran into a Grimm? Down here?"

"Yeah, scared the living hell out of me. That… _thing_ , whatever it was, it's nothing like other Grimm we saw before, and that includes those giant spiders we saw back in Emerald Forest."

Jaune felt Ruby sidling closer to him. "You mean you saw it? How?"

A small smile graced his lips as he turned to face her, or the general direction of where she stood. Focusing his mind, he felt for his Aura and channelled it around his body, and said, "Like this."

His body glowed, slowly gaining strength as the light grew brighter. In the depths of dark tunnels, his Semblance cast a ring of light around the two of them, as if to shield them from the lingering miasma of darkness. It also allowed him to see Ruby's eyes twinkling in awe, a soft smile touching her lips as she felt a touch of warmth from his light.

Still, the infancy of his new-found ability was evident in the Aura expenditure, and soon light receded and dimmed until darkness wrested control again. There was no dampening Ruby's excitement, however.

"That was so awesome! How did you _do_ that? Since when?"

"I don't actually know, it just sort of… came out of nowhere. Good thing too, 'cause I was _this_ close to being eaten alive," Jaune said.

"Could it be your Semblance?" Ruby pointed out.

"Most likely, yeah. It wasn't exactly a conscious thing when it happened, and I'm kinda feeling this sort of tug on my Aura whenever I use it." With renewed focus Jaune willed his Semblance to activate again, albeit caught in fluctuations of dim to bright, flickering like a broken lightbulb.

Frowning, he tried to keep the illumination level stable, to no avail. No mental input seemed to work, and the light continued to flicker unstably until it was extinguished again.

Perhaps sensing the unspoken frustration, he felt Ruby's hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. You just found your Semblance, and it's really difficult to get the hang of it. You're actually doing pretty good."

"Am I?"

Jaune heard Ruby chuckle. "Yeah, at least you're not constantly bumping into stuff. When I first unlocked my Semblance, I couldn't control my own movements, so every time I used it, I couldn't stop, not on my own anyway."

Jaune smiled in mirth as his mind conjured up the image of a much younger Ruby, struggling to keep her Semblance of unnatural speed under control, all the while trying her best not to run into things, and failing. Given Ruby's clumsiness that occasionally showed, he had no trouble believing that Ruby had indeed 'bumped into stuff' more often than not as she trained.

"Anyway, good timing! It's kind of hard to see anything down here, so your Semblance will come in really handy." Ruby turned her head, sweeping the area with her watchful eyes. Nothing shifted in the dark save for themselves, and she considered it a stroke of luck in a day of bad fortunes. "Good thing we found each other, too. I don't think I could've lasted long before I went nuts," Ruby added with a weak laugh.

"That reminds me, how _did_ you find me?" Jaune asked. "I didn't hear anything, then suddenly you popped up out of nowhere."

"I… dunno?" Ruby tilted her head, puzzled. "I was… somewhere, then I think I blacked out for a second? I can't really explain it, but the next thing I know, I found myself here, with you."

"Huh…" Tapping his chin, he recalled the strange noise he heard moments before he found Ruby. "I heard something strange just before you got here. Did you too?"

"No, didn't hear anything," Ruby shook her head, before she added, "I did feel a little strange, though. Like I was, I dunno, swimming? It was pretty weird."

"Sounds like you teleported or something," he offered in jest. "You know, 'beam me up, scotty'?"

"Oh hush, you. I don't feel like I've been disintegrated into tiny atoms then glued back together, so no, no beaming." They shared a light-hearted chuckle, though it quickly subsided when the tunnel shook ever so slightly.

"Come on, let's hurry up and find a way out of this place," Jaune urged, and Ruby fell in to steps with him. The tunnels continued to shake, kicking up fumes of aged dust that he could not see, only feel the gritty taste in his mouth as he accidentally inhaled them. More than once did one or both lost their balance, and had to help one another on their feet. Eventually the tremors died down, though neither could find it in themselves to relax.

Jaune was leading the way, when he heard Ruby yelp in pain. Startled, he rounded on Ruby, "What's wrong?"

"I dunno, my eyes just start hurting, and…" Ruby rubbed her eyes. "Ow!"

"Maybe something got in it?" Jaune dug around his pocket for a handkerchief, only to come up empty.

"Maybe?" Ruby blinked furiously, feeling tears building up in response to the unknown source of irritation. As soon as it came the pain faded, and Ruby slowly opened her eyes.

At that moment, for reasons beyond reason, she laughed, loud enough to reverberate the tunnels.

Jaune froze. Normally the sound of Ruby's laughter was a delight to hear, but this, this sounded alien, almost manic, sinister, even. It sent chills down his back, and he subconsciously stepped back. "R-Ruby?"

Her laughter was cut short with another pained grunt. "Oww…"

"Ruby?" Jaune tried again.

"J-Jaune? What-what just happened?" Ruby sounded confused.

"What do you mean, 'what happened'?" It was his turn to be confused. "You just started flat out cracked up for no reason!"

"I did _what_?" The dismay of her tone was genuine.

"You don't remember?"

"No! I-I think I just blacked out for a moment there, I don't know!" A hint of hysteria crept into her outburst, and Jaune instinctively reached out to her.

"Hey, just-just take a deep breath, 'kay?" Jaune said in what he wanted to believe was a reassuring tone. "Let's just, I don't know, pretend nothing happened for the time being, alright? Let's just find a way out of here first."

"Yeah, yeah okay." Ruby said, trying to keep her breathing normal. After a few moments, she felt her heart rhythm normalising.

"Good, great. Now, we all good?"

Ruby nodded. "We're good."

"Alright." Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. Truth was, he was still more than a bit perturbed by her sudden outburst, but ruthlessly squashed it aside. Finding a way out of this hellhole was paramount, everything else could wait afterwards.

 **"'If' you can escape this place…"**

Jaune squeezed his eyes shut, staying his best to tune out the insidious voice. That was one kind of thought he didn't want to pursue. He was going to escape this place, together with Ruby. They survived the horrors of the Emerald Forest, they were going to survive this one too.

 **"Self-deception is the sweetest kind of lies…"**

Jaune stopped dead in his track, his hand flying to the hilt of his Crocea Mors. Was it just his imagination, or did it feel like the walls themselves were whispering to him now?

"Jaune?"

Jaune whipped his head to his side, Ruby's voice quelling the hissing whispers.

"Jaune, are you alright?" He felt Ruby's small hand on his, guiding them away from his sword. "You're sweating buckets! What's wrong?"

The reversal of the roles did not go unnoticed by Jaune. "Nothing, nothing. Just hearing voices in my head, that's all."

He heard rustling clothes, then felt something cool against his brow. "Oooh, that's cold."

"Actually, it's you who's burning up. Maybe you're coming down with a fever?"

Jaune rolled his eyes. "I hope not. It'd be a bummer if I did."

Ruby lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Don't get sick, 'kay? I don't want to catch the germs too." Beneath the teasing tone he could tell that she was concerned, and that was a small comfort.

The two continued their trek through the ancient tunnels, though with cloths covering their mouths and nose, an attempt to ward off the malodorous air that only grew fouler. The air was growing thinner, which only made things worse. The only silver lining was that they haven't run into another Grimm, yet.

After some time of what felt like trudging through endless darkness, Ruby tugged Jaune back. "Wait, the tunnels split into three different directions."

Jaune raised a brow. He could barely make out anything. "You can tell?"

"You can't?" Ruby replied with equal amounts of surprise. "It's actually fairly bright here, well, bright enough to at least make out the bare outlines of the walls, anyway."

Jaune gaped at the place where Ruby stood. "I can barely see you, and I'm standing right next to you. How on earth can you see all that?"

"Because I'm… special?" Ruby offered with a hint of mirth.

"Right…" Jaune tried to focus, willing his Aura to flare up his Light Semblance again. A slight tingling of his hand brought a small globe of light to life, just bright enough to illuminate the forked paths, just as Ruby described.

"So, which way you reckon?"

"Hmm…" Jaune scratched his chin as he contemplated, then raised his finger. "Eenie meenie miney mo-"

"Jaune!"

"What? You have a better idea?"

"Not really, but still!" Ruby had more to say, only to be interrupted as Jaune let out a hacking cough, before clutching his throat in silent agony. She saw his Adam's apple bob up and down as he seemed to swallow, making a face once his breathing stabilised.

As if in chain reaction Ruby too, had a violent coughing fit. Something wet and metallic invaded her mouth from her throat, and she was alarmed to see splatter of blood on her hand.

"Oh fuck…" Jaune couldn't see as well as his partner, but the wretching cough alone told him that she was in just as bad a shape as he was. If he was to hazard a guess, it was likely the air down here that was causing the problem. And the longer they stayed down here, the faster they were going to break down, providing yet another incentive to find an exit.

Fate, it seemed, chose that moment to decide their path, in the form of a loud thundering crack. The two stood frozen for a moment, not having expected to hear such a familiar sound. Throwing caution to the wind they rushed through the tunnel in the centre, Ruby leading the way for the two of them.

"What was that?"

"I dunno, but that was definitely a gunshot!" Ruby said, before coughing. Neither slowed down, both enveloped with mounting anticipation to see a fellow survivor, even possibly the rest of the Regalities. Down here in smothering darkness, the thought of seeing a familiar face was all to enticing to ignore.

There was another gunshot, and further up in the distance, they saw a flicker of light, a gunfire. Then, a scream. It was a woman's, high-pitched, and desperate. There was another gunshot overlapped with the scream, until both were abruptly cut off.

"Nonono…"

Whirling around the corner, they came across a gruesome sight. Jaune didn't need his Light to see the source of the gunfire and the screams, as the woman laid on the ground, desperately clawing the filthy dirt as she tried to crawl to her escape, the bottom half of her body reduced to gory mess of molten flesh and bone.

"What the fuck…" Jaune and Ruby stood frozen on the spot, their gazes drawn to what seemed like an amalgamation of black goo given sentience.

The dying woman raised her head, and to their horror they recognised who she was; Pinkerton, the pink-haired Huntress they met back in the military outpost. The cheerful air she had was all but gone, now wide-eyed in fear as death drew closer.

"H-help… me…" The Huntress rasped, before the black goo pounced, completely consuming her. The goo then turned opaque, providing glimpse of the trapped woman before her flesh melted before their very eyes, leaving only her skeleton suspended in its viscous slime.

Dull and dim light filled the tunnel, sheen of pale green bioluminescence from its ectoplasmic body. Ruby gasped in terror when Pinkerton's skull floated into view, staring eerily at the two fear-struck students through its eyeless hollow sockets, forever smiling, laughing.

Ruby's screams accompanied the loud crack of gunfire as she unloaded .308 rounds into the otherworldly monstrosity, its large form filling up the entire throat of the tunnel. The lead ballistic rounds did little to deter the fleshless being, and to their dismay the bullets slowly dissolved in its body.

"RUN!" Jaune shouted in panic. His body lit up like bonfire, though unlike the previous eldritch Grimm the ectoplasmic aberration was hardly affected, moving, oozing towards them fast.

They ran back the way they came, narrowly avoiding the odd debris. Jaune almost tripped, though managed to recover just in time to jump out of the way when the creature's head, or the topmost part of its slimy mass, stretched and struck the area he occupied only a few seconds past. The ground sizzled and hissed where it struck, and Jaune felt his throat tightening as he realised he just avoided getting his skin melted off his bones by mere inches.

"Come on!" Ruby yelled. Jaune was all too happy to oblige, allowing Ruby to guide their flight path. The squelching and the acrid smell was fast on their heel, relentless and single-minded in its pursuit for its next prey.

The very earth trembled, as if to hinder their escape. The tunnels, weakened after many years of neglect and ruin, came tumbling down, showers of rock raining down, cutting off their exit.

"NO! Goddamnit!" Jaune yelled, unable to contain his frustration. They were trapped, with no way to run from the ectoplasmic horror.

"God-fucking-damnit!"

"Oh no. What do we do? What do we do?!" Ruby screamed hysterically.

He frantically looked around, half his focus on trying to find another escape route, while the other half was counting down the seconds they had before the ectoplasmic monstrosity was upon them, judging by the sound of dripping ooze that was getting louder and louder.

"Shitshitshitshitshit-"

No matter how frantically they searched, there was no other way out. The gurgling from the tunnel caused them to turn around and saw the abomination as it approached them, the skeleton trapped within seemingly cackling.

Jaune drew his Crocea Mors as Ruby unloaded more bullets, screaming in fear and desperation. The bullets did little more than agitate the aberrant, and when the last of the gunshots withered to hollow clicks, Ruby sank to her knees, choking back sobs. Perhaps sensing her resignation, part of its gelatinous form morphed to a spike, and its appendage shot forward to Ruby.

"Ruby!" With a cry Jaune intercepted mid-course, his shield catching the brunt of the attack. Foul stench struck his olfactory nerves as acid ate through what was left of his vanadium shield. Hastily freeing his arm he dropped the shield, limply backing towards Ruby as he too, lost hope.

Drawing the younger girl into his arms he gave her what little comfort he could, before the inevitable embrace of death took them both.

"No, not like this…"

Grimacing, Jaune tightened his hold on Ruby. "Goddamnit…!"

As the great aberration drew closer, Jaune shut his eyes tight. He didn't want to see their last moments.

A wave of coldness washed over the two of them, and darkness took them both.

* * *

Far away, in the midst of shadow-cloaked land, a lone woman sat up from her rest, blood red eyes trained on the horizon. She gathered herself for a moment, trying to identify that which disturbed her rest. It took her but a handful of seconds to pinpoint the source of disturbance; an aura that was familiar, yet foreign, asleep, but now awake.

With a smile she stood up, reaching for her arms and armour. She had a rough idea of what she would expect to find, but all the same she prepared for her departure.

"So, the bloodline perseveres…"

* * *

 **A/N: "No story is complete without a cliffhanger." So said this one wise dude on internet... probably.**

 **So, Jaune's Semblance. I'm sure there are some debates about what his Semblance could be, some rather farfetched and others more plausible, though they're all quite interesting all the same. Personally I always envisaged him as a Paladin archetype of sorts, mostly because of the first time we caught a glimpse of his Semblance all the way back in Volume 1. 'Ultimate Defense' is also another idea I've been toying with, based on little hints canon materials provide for us, bantering back and forth in my head, as well as giving it symbolic meanings as well. At the same time, I didn't want to make him overpowered in any way. There's more satisfaction in writing a character using his abilities in more ingenious ways than just outright overwhelming his opponents with sheer force. The same goes for Ruby. All characters have their weaknesses, so it's a matter of efficient teamwork to cover each others' bases. I intent to expand on this more on later chapters. Should be fun.**

 **As for this chapter, I hope I did a decent job in setting up the tone and the claustrophobic atmosphere of the underground tunnels. Complete darkness, and the constant fear of the unknown that lurks in its endless depths. Imagine you're in the middle of overgrown woods, far from civilisation. Abandoned tunnels, and you've no idea what you'll find in there. Of course, you could just choose not to go inside because why on earth would you? But if you woke up and found yourself in the tunnel, and you have no idea where the exit is, or how you got there in the first place, and holy shit what the hell was that? Throw in some lovecraftian-inspired horrors, and yeah, my muses were having a field trip with this one.**

 **Sleep tight, people.**

 **[Updated: 07/06/17] - made a few changes and additions here and there.**


	20. Act 2: Chapter 11

**ACT 2: The Escape**

* * *

 _"The class has officially begun, and I hope you've all read up about the materials I listed last week, 'cause they'll be important, as it concerns the matter of Grimm classification. It's no easy task, as Grimm's highly abnormal physiology don't conform to conventional laws of science, and so makes categorising them close to being an impossibility._

 _"That being said, these materials are by no means a definite guideline, rather simple references for perusal and further studies, if time permits. In any case, let's go over them, shall we? At the bottom of the ladder, you've got your Class D species. You'll find your average Beowolves here, along with many others that I won't bother naming. These are Grimm species that, alone, can be easily dispatched, provided one has received sufficient training in weaponry and combat._

 _"Class D's also tend to be more, well, fragile, in comparison to other types of Grimm. That is to say, most lack the tough exoskeleton and bony outgrowths to act as natural armours against blades and projectiles. But don't let it lull you into false sense of security; in great numbers, they can overwhelm even the most skilled of Hunters with ease. Far too many overconfident Huntsmen and Huntresses met their ends in such fashion, so let that be a lesson to you all."_

* * *

"Holy shit! What the fuck is that?!"

"It doesn't matter! Open fire, damnit! Light up that son of a bitch!"

No sooner the order was given the squad of White Fang soldiers opened fire, hailstorm of lead rounds riddling into the target's form. One of the soldiers even tossed the grenade for a good measure. As it went off, it tore up the target into smaller globs, and the _thing_ did not move again.

There was a collective sigh of relief among the guards. This… _thing_ jumped on them as they ran patrol, and managed to completely _dissolve_ three of their numbers into pile of goo and bones before they could escape, and it followed them as they ran through the tunnels.

"Goddamnit. Hope that's the last freak we ever run into," one of the soldiers spat. "Never should've come here in the first place. Place's a bloody mess."

"We won't be here for much longer, anyway. Once we get that train up and moving, we can all get the hell away from this place," another soldier replied. "'Sides, it's a big money they're paying us. How often do you ever get a chance for this big of a payday, huh?"

"Yeah, tell that to Tom. Bet he thought the same thing before that fucking _thing_ got the jump on him."

As the soldiers bickered amongst themselves, none of them noticed the globs moving, converging, and fusing. When one of the guards cried out in alarm, it was too late as the gelatinous, formless Grimm swallowed him whole, liquefying him alive. The sound of gunshots and screams ceased to gurgles, then silence descended on the ancient aqueducts once more.

* * *

"Set off the charges."

"But sir! That'll seal them with that… _thing_!"

Roman backhanded the White Fang operative across the face. "Unless you want to go in there, girlie, I suggest you do as I say and blow the charges. Now."

The young operative palmed her reddened cheek, though said nothing as she set off the detonator. There was an explosion, and the dull roar as the tunnel caved in on itself. Unless the ectoplasmic Grimm could melt through pile of stone, it wasn't getting through.

"There, problem solved." His scroll lit up, and he motioned the White Fang guards stationed within the room to leave. "Now get out, gotta take this."

The guards scowled, but complied nonetheless. The man's nonchalance as he ordered their fellow soldiers to their death was unsettling, but there was little they could do. Roman Torchwick was their biggest and only benefactor, the man who supplied them with armaments and resources. And Adam himself ordered them to follow the human's commands, however unpleasant it was.

As the last of the guards left, Roman opened his scroll. "Well, look who it is."

"Good morrow, Mr. Torchwick. I hope things are well on your end?" Arthur Watts asked pleasantly.

"You have no idea. Trying to coordinate these animals is nothing short of a nightmare," Roman grumped.

The doctor laughed. "Well, they do say it takes time for circus animals to learn new tricks."

Roman shrugged. "They're just cannon fodders. Calling them 'circus animals' is being generous."

The doctor sighed. "Yes, unfortunate that we must rely upon these degenerates, but these are desperate times."

Roman grunted in agreement. At least they were expendable, replaceable. "Preparations are almost complete. Just a few more hours, then this train will be good to go. And that goes for your little pet project, too."

Watts nodded in approval. "Most excellent. My esteemed colleague will see to his task here in Midgard. Provided everything falls into place, and I know they will, then this day could very well go down as one of the bloodiest in history."

"Well, best enjoy the show, then." Roman terminated the comm-link, and leaned back on his chair. He cast a dubious glance at the suitcase that sat on a desk, seemingly innocuous and no different from any ordinary suitcases, but carried within it a destructive potential that could level an entire city with a flick of a switch.

And it did. Roman himself personally witnessed the machine's capabilities in action, watched as small fringe communities and backwater towns were wiped off the map, their inhabitants mercilessly hunted down and devoured. While not the main catalyst for recent roof-shattering surges in Grimm infestation, this lethal piece of technology was responsible for many deaths, and the world was none the wiser about its existence, much less its terrible implications.

The smooth criminal shook his head in hollow mirth. Dr. Watts was a man of refined tastes (especially when it came to his impeccable taste in fashion, something Roman could easily relate to), and if recent events were anything to go by, also had sadistic, blood-thirsty streak as well. Not once has the man shown any shred of remorse for the deaths his invention has wrought. Then again, he was in the company of those who were like him.

Roman lit up his cigar, taking in the familiar smoke only a roll of Corona Regius could provide. It was the only good thing that came out of the city he once called home. The fact that he was mere hours away from razing said city to the ground troubled him none.

* * *

Ruby couldn't breathe. She felt as though she was underwater, in the dark depths of ocean where no light could reach. She couldn't open her eyes no matter how she tried. She could hear nothing, not even her own screams.

Then, it was over in an instant. When she opened her eyes she was still in one of the many underpass of Mountain Glenn, breathing heavily from exertion. As she calmed her heartbeat, she frantically took in her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was the shapeless abomination of flesh creeping towards them. And now it was gone.

She found Jaune slumped on the ground next to her, unconscious but otherwise in one piece. She almost laughed in relief; they were alive. She thought they were going to die, and yet they somehow managed to slip through death's grasp yet again. This wasn't the first encounter they had with death, but that didn't make each and every narrow escape any less significant than another.

Still, it was far too early to celebrate. They weren't out of the tunnel yet, and a quick inventory check told her that she was running low on ammunition as well. Her Crescent Rose still functioned properly, something that warranted a pat on her past self's back for the foresight to have her beloved weapon upgraded.

She also noticed, perplexingly enough, that she could see in the dark, despite the lack of any discernible means of illumination. Not clearly enough to make out every smallest of details, but enough to at least make out the outlines of the underpass and the path that led further in.

That's when she also realised that it wasn't so much as the eldritch Grimm disappeared into thin air, rather that _they_ were the ones who disappeared and re-appeared somewhere else. But where?

And more importantly, how?

Ruby shook her head, brushing the thought aside. Their escape was paramount, everything else could wait. Shifting closer to Jaune, she gently shook him awake. "Jaune?"

Jaune mumbled something quietly, but didn't budge. "Jaune, wake up."

Ruby shook him again, a little harder this time. Jaune slumped on his side, unmoving.

Panic slowly began to settle and grow, shivering and trembling when Jaune coughed weakly, blood trickling down the corner of his lips.

"Jaune! Oh my god, Jaune-" Ruby pulled him up and leaned him against the wall, alarmed to see how laboured his breathing seemed. "Please, wake up! Jaune!"

She couldn't understand, how did he end up like this? Just moments ago he was still up and moving, a little injured for sure, but certainly not weakened like this.

"Please, don't leave me alone…"

Swiftly, out of nowhere, something struck her hard in the head. For an instance she saw flashes of light, then the tunnel tilted on its side, before coming to a stop. As she laid there, numb and unable to move, the last thing she saw was a boot connecting with her face.

* * *

Given its mountainous landmark, night settled quicker on the other side of the Divide. And with the recent rain the air was colder still. The chill felt more prominent, now that they lost most of their provisions and, more importantly, the half of team RALY.

The pitiful campfire Oobleck set up provided a little warmth, but that didn't stop the two remaining Regalities huddling around it. Ren wordlessly produced a roll of bandage from his inner tailcoat pocket, and fastened it around his arm which bore a long, nasty gash.

Yang sat with her arms wrapped around her knee, her stares glassy and far-away. She didn't respond when Ren inched closer to see to her wounds, stopping his administrations with a minute shake of her head.

Oobleck pitied them; them, and their two missing companions. Every aspiring apprentice Huntsmen and Huntresses inevitably faced many challenges in the course of their career paths, but it still pained him to see these children so downtrodden and forlorn. There was no way to tell what became of Ruby and Jaune, or even if they were alive.

He turned his gaze to the ruined city sprawled all around them, the destroyed husks of buildings like tombstones for those who lost their lives on that fateful day. Mountain Glenn was a graveyard, and he unknowingly brought fresh corpses for the city to claim, to be buried both beneath and above the ground.

Oobleck knew it was an irrational thought – after all, who could've predicted things would've turned out this way? Yet he continued to wander tantalizingly closer and closer to the dark recess of his mind, bringing him back to that day when the entire city died and he could only watch, powerless to stop anything.

The scene shattered and reality set back in, when Ren burst into action and fired into the darkness behind him. A guttering howl resounded from where the bullets landed, and from the shadows the Grimm appeared.

Bolting to his feet Oobleck grasped his thermic lance and lashed out, the searing heat easily burning a hole through a Beowolf that wandered too close. Yang's Ember Celica clicked into place, and a shotgun blast went off, tearing an unfortunate Creep into chunks.

The ruckus was starting to draw in more and more Grimm, Oobleck realised as he heard echoing howls from the distance. In their current state, prolonged fights was going to be downright detrimental. The depth of the dark night also worked against them, the lack of light further empowering the Grimm while depriving them of much needed visibility.

"Professor!" Ren shouted as he emptied his magazine on a bipedal rat Grimm. "We have to run, or they'll be all over us! There's just too many of them!"

"This way!" Oobleck shifted the gear on his thermic lance, and from the tip a great stream of fire spewed forth, incinerating the Grimm and cutting out a path for them.

"You two, stay close!" Oobleck led the way with the flamethrower, Yang and Ren covering their retreats with shotgun shells and 9mm rounds. They didn't know where they were running to, the only thing that mattered was to put as much distance between them and the Grimm.

Eventually they came to a halt, a momentary reprieve to catch their breaths. They found themselves standing in the middle of what would've been a street of a residential area, the four-way intersection with blasted concrete and mostly faded painted road markers. The dilapidated remains of houses stood rather eerily, and soon enough, darkness stirred around them, snarling, snapping, growling.

They stood back to back, completely surrounded. They were tired, injured, but still they clung to their weapons, fully intent on going down fighting.

Oobleck folded his thermic lance back to its thermos, and took out the collapsed staff, fully extending it to its full height. The small brown gem back in place, he uttered incantations yet again in the foreign language.

Ren and Yang turned to the Huntsmen, startled. "Professor, what's-"

With a final chant, the historian slammed the butt of his staff to the ground. The ground around them cracked, the crevasses running across the concrete pavement like spider web, expanding further and further outwards. The horde of Grimm lumbered closer, undaunted. Just as they raced towards them with fangs bared and claws raised, sand poured out from the fissures and solidified to rows upon rows of spikes. The amalgamation of pained howls and shrieks of impaled Grimm was deafening and bone-chilling.

The stakes dissipated back to their earthly components, and in the ensuing process some of the dead Grimm began to expire, billowing up clouds of black dust and ash.

Oobleck gasped and fell to his knees, weakened after expending much of his Aura. Ren and Yang quickly moved in to support him, relieved to see that their supervising Huntsman was fine.

"Prof, what the hell was up with _that_?" Yang asked.

"Well-" Oobleck was cut off when the ground beneath them groaned. Before any of them could act, the ground gave away beneath them, plunging them headfirst into the darkness below, on to a bed of gravel.

"Fuck! Oww…" Yang rubbed her head. Beside her Ren groaned as he clutched his bandaged arm, apparently having landed on it on his descent.

"Is everyone alright?" Oobleck stiffly rose to his feet, leaning on the staff as a makeshift crutch.

Ren hissed as he tightened his bandage to stop the bleeding. "We're alive, at least."

"Yeah, but…" Yang's eyes trailed upward at the gaping hole above. "That was a bit of a fall. No way we're getting out that way, though."

"And with any luck, we won't need to." Oobleck pointed at the long, winding tunnel ahead of them. "We were near one of the residential blocks up above. When this underground metro system was under construction, several key points were designated as exit points, trap doors that lead to ladders that connect the underground tunnels with the surface above. If we look around hard enough, we might just be able to find one such exit points."

"Wait, does that mean…" Yang stood up, her visage brightening. "Does that mean Ruby could've found a way out of here?"

"…Perhaps," Oobleck answered hesitantly.

"Son of a- _now_ you're telling us?" Yang exclaimed, though there was no mistaking the hope that glimmered in her eyes. The prospect of being reunited with her sister gave her strength, and her body was lit with gentle fire, quietly flickering and shedding light in the dark tunnel. And in so doing, it shed light to where they stood.

"My god…" Oobleck stumbled backwards in surprise.

Scrawled all over the ground and the walls was a symbol of an eye shedding tears of blood, encircled by two rings. Some were carved into the wall, others were painted in dark ichor-like substance. It unnerved them all to no end, as if all eyes were drawn to them, watching their every move.

"What the hell is all this?" Yang asked to no one in particular, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I don't know, but I don't like this. We should leave, this place's giving me the creeps."

"An excellent suggestion, Mr. Lie." Oobleck ushered them out, not at all sorry to leave the strange, disturbing chamber behind them.

"Wait, did you hear that?" Yang halted, the fire licking her body dwindling down to nothing.

"Hear what?" Ren asked, before falling silent, straining to hear whatever Yang was referring to. A minute of silence passed by before Oobleck shook his head.

"Miss Xiao Long-"

"Shh! There! Can't you two hear it? Someone's whispering…"

"What whisper?" Ren raised his brow in suspicion. He exchanged glances with the historian, confirming that he too, did not hear anything.

Then, out of nowhere, he heard it. It was faint at first, barely audible, but slowly it grew louder. Incomprehensible, unintelligible, it chilled him to his very core with fear.

" **H' ah nog…"**

"What…? Who's there?!" Ren said as he shifted on his feet, attempting to track down the source of the whisper. "Answer me!"

"Ruby…? Ruby, is that you?" Yang shuffled closer to the entrance of the tunnel. "Ruby? Answer me!"

"By the gods above, what on earth has gotten into you two?" Without waiting for the two Regalities to reply – not that they were capable of doing so – he grabbed them by their shoulders, and bodily dragged them out of the chamber. Yang wailed, while Ren rambled in his native tongue, the meaning lost on the historian.

Their mindless gibbering came to a cease when the damned chamber was but a speck of line far behind them. The two Regalities stirred, looking around in confusion. "Prof? Uh, where are we?"

Oobleck sighed in relief, at least they seemed to have reverted to their normal selves. "In the underground metro tunnels beneath Mountain Glenn, Miss Xiao Long."

"How did we end up down here? Weren't we fighting off the Grimm just before?" Ren asked.

The historian raised his brow. "Do you not remember, Mr. Lie?" A shake of a head was all the answer he got from the Mistralian. "I see… Interesting, to say the least."

"I don't get it, what's interesting?" Yang piped in, equally lost. "And yeah, how _did_ we end up down here?"

Oobleck raised his fist, pausing. "Later. Ready your weapons, children – something's heading this way."

Wordlessly, the fighters obeyed, picking up a low growl that echoed further down the tunnel, shrouded in darkness. It was growing louder, and so too, did their apprehension. Collapsing his staff, Oobleck took out his thermos and extended it to its lance form. He shot another stream of fire forward, and the resulting light revealed to them a monstrosity never seen before above the sun-lit surface world.

The Grimm in question stood on two legs, supporting a thick torso with ribs protruding through its fur. The darkness rescinded further, displaying its two pairs of arms, each with wicked claws at the end. Perhaps the most terrible feature was its head, disproportionately larger in comparison to its body with eyes bulging out on either end, and between the eyes, a great fanged mouth that opened vertically instead of horizontally.

The Grimm's red beady eyes focused on the three, and clacked its terrifying jaw. It lumbered towards them, moving fast for its thick physique. Startled, Ren squeezed the trigger of his StormFlower, spraying the creature with shower of 9mm rounds. The protruding ribcage acted as its armour and deflected the bullets, though a few managed to punch through its unprotected neck, and the Grimm let out a strangled growl as it fell on the ground, dead.

Cautiously, Oobleck moved closer to its carcass, prodding it with the tip of his lance to ascertain that it was truly dead, and flipped it on its back for a closer examination. Even in death, this strange Grimm was still terrifying to look at, if only due to its grotesque appearance that defied the natural laws of biology.

"What the hell is this thing?" Yang frowned as she kept her distance. "Never remembered seeing this kind of Grimm in a textbook before."

"No, and I doubt you would've." Oobleck scratched his cheek as he mentally sifted through his mind. "It is believed that there are many more species of Grimm, more than ones that have been discovered already. It is possible that this one may be one of the undiscovered ones." Subterranean species tended to be harder to find, for obvious reasons, except…

Oobleck pursed his lips, deep in thought. It was something that warranted further discussion with Ozpin and the others. For now, he'd focus on survival first, including that of his students, all of them.

* * *

Ruby gasped as she was forcefully roused, cold water dripping down her face.

Standing across her stood Roman Torchwick, his lips curled into a smirk. "Wakey wakey, Red."

"Hey, you're-" Ruby tried to stand up, only to find that she couldn't, her wrists crossed and tied behind the back of the chair. "Let me go!"

"Not so fast, I think. First of all, you wanna tell us how you managed to skulk all the way down to our little base? You and your little boyfriends, that is."

Eyes widening, she turned to see Jaune restrained to the chair to her right. And to her left was a badly beaten man. It took her a while to recognise him; Oliver, the Huntsman they met back in the military outpost. What was he doing here?

"Oh, him? Found him knocked out in one of the tunnels, just like you two. Funny coincidence, huh?" Roman elaborated in response to Ruby's unspoken question. "Anyways, noticed you didn't answer my question, Little Red."

"We- we were lost," Ruby admitted.

"Little Red, Little Red," Roman tutted, before backhanding her out of the blue. Ruby yelped more out of surprise than pain. "How about you save us both the trouble and just spill the beans already, huh? Where's the rest of your group?"

Ruby said nothing, opting to glare instead.

"Oooh, how scary." Roman roughly gripped her by the hair and pulled her head back, causing the girl to wince and flail in pain.

"Look here, girlie, I've got too much shits to do to play the silent games with you. You shitty first-years wouldn't be here unless it was for a mission of some sorts, and believe me, I'm well aware of how the damn system works."

"I-I'm not telling you anything!" Ruby said defiantly, earning her another slap across the face. Moisture welled in her eyes from the stinging pain, but Ruby was steadfast in her resolve.

Jaune groaned weakly next to her, and Ruby's eyes flew to him, full of concern. Roman, unfortunately, took notice of this, and decided to change his tactics accordingly. With a gleeful smile he raised his cane, only this time the recipient of the blow was not Ruby, but Jaune.

"No!" Jaune jerked from the blow, coughing up blood. Cackling, Roman continued his 'administrations' on Jaune again and again, all the while Ruby screamed, pleaded him to stop.

"No! Please, stop! I'll tell you, just please stop hurting him! Please!"

Roman smirked and lifted her chin with his gloved hand. Taking a puff from his cigar he blew the smoke right in her face. "Good, that's the look I was going for. So, ready to spill?"

"You're right, we-we came here on a mission. Then, t-there was an earthquake, and we ended up falling to one of the tunnels. I-It was a nightmare, and somehow we… ended up here," Ruby reluctantly said.

"What about the rest of your little group, Red?" Roman sneered. "Two's a pair, four's a team. And there's gotta be a supervising Hunter, unless it's this guy?"

He prodded the unconscious Huntsman with his cane. Ruby shook her head. "I-I don't know what happened to our friends. We were separated."

"So you say."

"W-what are you going to do to us?" Ruby asked, shaking in fear. "Are you going to k-kill us?"

"That's an option. But you know what, I think I'll find a use for you and your friend soon enough, and it'd be too boring to simply just kill you off anyway." Roman took another leisurely puff from his cigar. "Don't get me wrong, just because it'd be boring doesn't mean I won't just kill you, 'cause I totally can. Just on the off-chance that we do get more uninvited guests turning up in our doorsteps, we can use you as a leverage. Think 'bargaining chips', if you will."

"Why are you doing this?" Ruby cried.

"We're here because we've got a job to do, not that much different from the reason that brought you to this goddamn tomb."

"What are you up to? What job?"

"Curious, aren't you? Technically I'm not supposed to tell, but considering how you won't be getting out of this place alive anyway, might as well. Why not." Shrugging, Roman grabbed a spare chair and sat down facing Ruby.

"Hope you've been paying attention in class, girlie, 'cause then you might've picked up on a little detail that involves a big-ass underground tram railway that connects Mountain Glenn to Midgard. 'Course, Mountain Glenn got royally fucked by all that Grimm years ago, but you know what's funny? Those old fuckers in the government thought, 'hey, I know everything pretty much failed, but let's _not_ collapse these tunnels on the off-chance that one day we could actually take this graveyard back, even though the tunnels may be crawling with god-knows how many Grimm that wants to eat people alive.'!"

Ruby listened in stoic silence.

"And so they sealed up the tunnel with this big fucking metal gate. Let that sink in for a minute – the only thing that's keeping Midgard safe from all the Grimm in Mountain Glenn is one, _one_ sheet of metal. Okay, so it's one damn thick sheet of metal, I'll admit, but not thick enough, not by a long shot."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, her voice shaking.

Roman's answering grin was decidedly manic. "Imagine a train, completely stuffed with all manner of explosives you can ever hope to buy on the black market. What do you think will happen when you ram this may-or-may-not-be imaginary train into the big fucking metal gate I mentioned just before?"

Ruby blanched in horror as realisation set in. "You-you're crazy! If you did, that'll-"

"-set Grimm loose into the city, then everyone dies happily ever after! You're smarter than you look, Red."

"How-" Ruby stuttered in disbelief. "How could you do something so horrible like this?! A lot of people are going to get hurt, or worse!"

"I know! And I'm counting on it!" Roman snickered, blowing another cigar smoke into her face.

"You're a monster!" Ruby coughed, torn between fear and incredulity.

"Ouch." Roman stood up and dusted himself. "As much as I'd love to stick around and listen to you calling me a monster and whatnot, I'm a busy man. People to kill, lives to ruin, you know, the usual. See you around… or not."

The door to the cell slammed shut. Ruby struggled against her binding, to no avail. The chain dug into her wrists, and flailing about only worsened the chafing.

"Damn it, damn it…!"

"R-Ruby?"

"Jaune! Are you okay?"

Jaune coughed weakly. "I'm still alive, guess that counts for something."

Ruby cast her eyes down. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't want to tell him anything, but he…"

"I know. You did nothing wrong, Ruby, don't worry about it," Jaune reassured.

Ruby smiled a little at that, but her expression fell again. "It's horrible, Roman's-"

"I know, I heard everything."

"What do we do? We have to find a way to stop him! If we don't, a lot of people could die!"

Jaune said nothing, unsure how to form an answer. Given their current circumstances, pulling off an escape was going to be an arduous task; intervening with Torchwick's operation was going to be a near impossibility.

Next to Ruby, the Huntsman Oliver raised his head, fully awake. "Well said, rookie."

The two Regalities twitched in surprise. "You were awake?"

"The whole time. Didn't expect that chain-smoking son of a bitch to lay out his plans just like that, but then again, men like him, they tend to get overconfident, and overconfidence can lead to mistakes." Oliver held up his now freed hands, the ropes falling on to the floor.

"How'd you-?"

"Neat, huh? They teach you this kind of stuff in your second year, so look forward to it. And I'll damn make sure you both get out of this mess alive, or at least, I'll try." Moving behind Ruby he untied her hands, and did the same for Jaune. Ruby gingerly rubbed her chafed wrist.

Jaune shakily rose to his feet, leaning against the wall for support. Oliver took notice of it. "You going to be alright, there?"

"Yeah, I-I think so."

Oliver frowned. "I'm no doctor, but your Aura seems a little… how should I put it, sluggish? Stunted? What happened to you?"

"We don't know," Ruby answered for him. "Just before we got captured, he seemed really sick and weak. He was coughing a lot, too." As if to emphasise her point, he broke out into a coughing fit.

"Not much we can do now. First, let's get the hell off this graveyard." A thumping footstep drew closer to the door. Oliver wordlessly gestured them to stand down, and stood with his back plastered to the wall next to the door.

With a creak a lone White Fang guard stepped in, halting when he saw the prisoners loose. Before the soldier could reach for his weapon, Oliver swiftly struck, grabbing the Faunus' head and gave a savage twist. With snap of bones the soldier fell on the floor, neck contorted in an unusual angle.

Horrified, Jaune and Ruby could only gape as the Huntsman calmly looted the soldier's corpse, then took possession of a crude machete. "No guns, shit."

"You- you just…!"

Oliver simply quirked a brow at their frightened looks. "No time for that now, rookies. Hesitate for even a second, and that's a game over. Stay close and keep your head down."

Quietly the Huntsman opened the door, peeking through the gap to survey the area. Once he made sure the coast was clear, he crouched and gestured them to follow. Taking deep breaths they complied, taking extra care not to look at the dead body on their way out.

The door led to a corridor of sorts, lit only by a few naked light bulbs that hung on the ceiling above. They passed by several more doors, fashioned similarly to the cell they just liberated themselves out of. At the end of the corridor was yet another door, this one leading to a large cavern, lit by both artificial and natural moonlight spilling through the large skylight overhead.

Oliver ushered them forward, and they hid behind a stack of cargo. Cautiously Oliver peeked around the edge, frowning as he did so. "Goddamnit."

"What? What is it?" Ruby whispered.

"There's White Fang everywhere. Worse still, they're loading cargo into a train. Can't tell what they are, but I'll bet that it's anything but good."

"So he wasn't kidding? Shit." Jaune met Ruby's eyes, his own apprehension reflected in hers.

"What do we do?" Ruby hissed.

Oliver closed his eyes. "Hate to say it, but there's nothing we can do, not in our current state. We can't contact the outside world, and we can't fight them, not all of them."

"So we do nothing?"

Oliver frowned. "I didn't say that. Once we find a way out of here, we'll head straight back to the military outpost. There, we can use the comm-link to get in touch with the security details in Midgard. We don't know when this train's gonna leave, so the sooner we find an exit, the better."

Jaune nodded tightly. "Guess that's just about the only option we've got."

"Right, then. Stay close." Oliver, still crouched, made his way over to another stack of crates for cover. Just as Jaune and Ruby attempted to follow his lead, they were stopped dead in their tracks when a loud gunshot rang, and Oliver crashed to the ground on his side, groaning in pain. His body shimmered as his Aura was depleted.

"No!"

Another shot, and Oliver's head exploded into a shower of gore and gray matter. Ruby screamed, just as several White Fang soldiers came into view, their guns trained on them. With neither weapons nor strength to resist them, they were restrained and dragged out of their hiding spot.

"You know, you Hunters are all so predictable," Roman gloated. "And pathetic too, did I ever mention that? Face it Red, you're not getting out of this alive."

With a shrill cry, Ruby tried to rush him, an impulsive action due to the ever mounting desperation to live. She was shocked, then, when her Semblance failed to work. A searing pain shot through her foot, and she fell flat on her face in pain. The guards wasted no time in twisting her wrists behind her back and tied her up, forcing her on her knees.

"This is why I hate kids. Never listens to a bloody word, I swear." Roman lowered his cane, thin wisps of gun smoke blowing from the tip. "What'd I just say, Red?"

"That you're a murderer?" Jaune snapped, albeit weakly.

Roman regarded him with a cold look, and without a word, raised his Melodious Cudgel and pulled the trigger. Jaune doubled over, clutching his burning stomach. His Aura was still up, a small mercy, though it did little to mitigate the overwhelming pain where the shot hit him.

"Who said you could talk back, _boyo_?" Roman drew closer with a crazed grin. "Actually you know what, go ahead, try and piss me off! And I promise you, I'll make sure you die in the most slow and painful way ever imagined. You and your little girlfriend."

Jaune faltered. Taking that as a sign of resignation, Roman smirked. "Thought so. You're all the same. First sign of trouble, you'll just run with tail tucked between your legs. All bark and no bite."

He jerked his head at the guards. "Well, what are you animals waiting for? Throw them back to their cells, and make sure they don't escape again, for fuck's sake. And someone clean that shit up!"

A few White Fang insurgents moved to dispose of the body. Two of them bodily dragged the two Regalities back to their cells, and threw them inside without bothering to untie them first. The cell door slammed shut, and it was just the two of them again.

Jaune crawled over to Ruby, who was whimpering from pain. "Ruby?"

"I-It hurts…" There was a burnt hole on her boots, where she was hit. Fortunately her Aura mitigated the damage, leaving only reddened skin behind, and even that was starting to heal.

"Good, looks like there's no permanent damage." His breath hitched when pain flared up on his chest, an insidious reminder that he too, was shot.

"Are _you_ okay?" Ruby quietly asked.

"Yeah, think so." With some difficulty he sat up, propping his back up against the wall for support. Ruby shuffled closer next to him, leaning her head on his shoulders. He welcomed the gesture, taking comfort in her presence as much as she was with his.

They sat like that for a time, silent. Eventually Ruby spoke up. "What do you think's gonna happen to us?"

Jaune closed his eyes. "I… I don't know."

"Maybe… maybe they're out there, looking for us." The implied hope contrasted with the flat tone that delivered it. "Yang, I mean. Oobleck and Ren too. They wouldn't leave without us."

' _If they were alive,'_ Jaune thought darkly. They were skilled, sure, but then again, so too, were Oliver and his team of Hunters, and already two of them were dead.

Roman referred this place as a 'tomb', Jaune recalled from earlier. Given what he knew of the city, and what he has seen ever since he set foot in this place, he was inclined to agree. This city was like one big death trap; if professional Hunters were caught in its snares, what chance did a handful of first-year students have?

"Jaune?"

Jaune took a shuddering breath. "Yeah… yeah, they'll come for us. I-I'm sure of it."

Ruby said nothing, perhaps having noticed the doubt that crept in his voice, and there was nothing more for him to add, either. Tense silence descended on the cell again, tinged with dull air of resignation.

How much time has passed? At some point during the silence Ruby made herself comfortable, resting her head on his lap as a pillow. A gentle rise and fall of her chest told him that she was asleep.

Jaune managed a small smile. "Really, Ruby?" She napped quite often, now that he thought about it, mostly during classes, though there were occasions when they found Ruby quietly dozing off outside of classes.

Jaune chuckled as he remembered the time when Yang succumbed to the prankster in her, and proceeded to draw a misshapen eye on Ruby's forehead with a permanent marker. Ruby walked around the campus that whole day, puzzled as to why everyone sniggered whenever she walked past. A giggling Pyrrha handed her a mirror, earning an outraged squawk from the caped leader of team RALY.

That was just one of many memories he cherished from his year at Beacon Academy, a roller-coaster of a year filled with ups and downs.

"Been a year already, huh?" Jaune sighed wistfully. He found it hard to believe that it has been almost a year; it seemed like yesterday that he crawled out of the burning wreckage of the downed airship, meeting Ruby for the first time. Who would've thought that girl would've later become his partner in the Academy?

He wondered where he would be now, if he decided not to board the airship that day. Or that night in the infirmary, after he and Ruby were rescued? If he decided to leave that night, would he have wandered through Vale, lost and without a goal? At least he'd then be alive, but for what?

He's had several opportunities to leave, he realised, now that he looked back. Any one of them could've led to different directions, far from the Academy, away from a life as a Huntsman-in-training. He could've been lazing about in his bed, heading off to work, then coming back to sleep, then repeat the cycle over and over again. Mundane and predictable, perhaps, but at least he'd be alive.

Again, for what purpose?

Despite the situation he found himself in, despite all those times he almost his life, despite everything, he found that he couldn't bring himself to regret not leaving when he could. If he did, that'd mean regretting meeting his friends, being the person he was now.

That'd mean that he regretted meeting Ruby. And nothing could be furthest from the truth.

And so, despite knowing that they could very well die here, calm acceptance filled his heart. Bending down, he placed a light kiss on Ruby's brow.

"Thanks, Ruby. For everything."

Ruby simply snored, blissfully unaware.

* * *

Pyrrha sighed for the umpteenth time, staring longingly at her blank scroll.

Nora stood with her back to the wall, regarding the Mistralian redhead with a sympathetic look. "Still nothing?"

Pyrrha shook her head in negative.

"Look, they're in Mountain Glenn, right? Makes sense the signal would be pretty whacked-up, then," Nora pointed out reasonably. "Not to mention, the weather's been pretty crap over the Divide, and we all know storm and wireless don't mix."

"I know that, but it's been days. Even if the signal was bad, wouldn't we at least get _something_?" Her voice cracked at the end.

Nora pursed her lips. She tried to keep a front, but she was just as worried. Ren was in Mountain Glenn, and she's heard stories about the place. Their last correspondence over the scroll ended in statics, and she's never heard from him since then, no matter how many times she tried to reach him. It was the same disappointing result with Pyrrha in her numerous attempts to contact Jaune; nothing, the calls didn't even get through.

The hammer-wielder groaned. Their mission details kept them in the city for a week, and there were still a few more days to go. This suffocating tension and concern for their sister team stretched the day to an impossible degree. It was also hampering with their work performance, though neither girls could muster up enough energy to care.

Both Winterbournes looked up when the remaining half of the team came into view. "How'd it go?" Nora asked. The sombre look Blake wore told her the answer.

"Damn…"

"What'd he say?" Pyrrha asked.

"More or less what I expected," Weiss responded. "And he has a point; without substantial evidence we can't just leave willy-nilly."

"We couldn't get through to their scrolls, and it's been days!"

"It's Mountain Glenn, of course the signal's going to break left and right," Weiss calmly countered, echoing what Nora stated earlier. "Besides, there could be other reasons as to why they couldn't be reached."

"Yeah, like being in danger?" Nora pointed out almost angrily. "For all we know they could be in some sticky situation! And what if _we_ were the only ones who knew? Damnit, does he even _care_?"

"Nora," Blake said in a warning tone.

The Valkyrie groaned. "Sorry, I'm just…"

"We can imagine," Weiss said, her voice uncharacteristically soft and sympathetic. "And trust me, if we could just up and head to Mountain Glenn, I would. But we can't. Besides, they've got a Huntsman looking out for them, and there's a military outpost just on the outskirts of the city."

Nora snorted. "Yeah, Oobleck."

"From what I've heard, he's a surprisingly capable Huntsman," Blake piped in. "At least, from what Velvet told me."

Pyrrha and Nora stiffly nodded, not fully satisfied but at least momentarily pacified. The gnawing anxiety still dwelled in their minds, however, and it was likely it'd remain there until they saw their friends and made sure they were safe.

"Come on. No sense in moping around here. Let's head to Jasmine's bar for lunch, my treat."

"You're buying? Really?" Blake asked dubiously.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Did I stutter? Yes, I am."

Nora brightened up. "You wouldn't mind if I get another pint of cider, right? Those apple ciders are to _die_ for."

"I told you already, no drinking while on duty!"

"But Weiss-!"

The two Winterbourne's friendly banter elicited a small smile from Pyrrha. It was rather heart-warming to see Weiss trying to cheer them up, in her own way. It was at times like this that Pyrrha felt blessed, to have such caring people she could call friends.

"Feeling better?" Blake asked quietly next to her.

"A little."

Blake nodded. "Don't worry so much, Pyrrha. You know they're a skilled team, they can take care of themselves."

"I know. Thanks."

The feline Faunus smiled back. The rest of their trip to the Hunter's bar was a quiet one for them both, and a rowdy chatter for the other two.

As they neared Jasmine's bar, the door opened, and a large man stepped out. Nora, who had her back turned to face Weiss, was unaware and bumped into the man.

"Oopsie! Sorry mister!" Nora apologised with a sheepish grin.

The man simply nodded, then walked off without another word. As Weiss chastised Nora for her carelessness, Pyrrha snuck a glance at the retreating back of the man, noting his rather muscular physique. Given that he came out of a bar that catered exclusively to Huntsmen and Huntresses, she wondered whether he was a Huntsman.

"Pyrrha?" Weiss called out, holding the door open. "You coming in?"

"Oh, yes. Pardon me." With a murmur of thanks Pyrrha stepped into the establishment. As usual, a quiet jazz piece hummed in the background, complementing its quaint décor rather nicely.

Behind the bar, Jasmine, the proprietor and the bartender of the establishment, gave them a lazy wave in greeting. "Oh, you runts, huh? Port's not with you today?"

"He said he some business to tend to," Weiss replied.

"And we felt it was in our best interest to not bother asking him for the details," Blake added.

Jasmine snorted in derision. "Tell me about it, the man can talk your ears off. So, what'll it be?"

An hour or so later, the Winterbourne quartets sighed in content, placing cutleries down on their empty plates. "Ooooh, that hit the spot."

"I've half a mind to hire you as my personal chef," Weiss absently commented.

The chef smiled. "Glad to hear that. Business's been slow lately, and it gets rather boring on my own here. It's a nice change of pace, having some company."

Pyrrha looked around, and, sure enough, the establishment was unusually vacant. "That is rather strange. Does this happen quite often?"

"Kind of. Seeing how this bar's a bit selective about the demographics we cater to, it's only a given that business isn't going to be a nice, consistent line on the graph margin," Jasmine shrugged. "From what I heard, Grimm outbreaks have been quite severe lately, especially in smaller towns further down south, to the point where most Huntsmen and Huntresses in Midgard left to respond to distress calls."

"That bad, huh?"

"That's only to be expected, though. Only large cities like Midgard and Vale are fitted with barriers, smaller, rural towns don't. That leaves them a lot more vulnerable to Grimm attacks. And considering how the militaries are mostly concentrated in primary city areas, country-side folks only have Hunters to turn to for protection," Weiss pointed out.

Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "Mistral's more or less the same. Due to high concentration of Grimm species that can fly, aerial means of transportation are almost impossible. In some areas, it can get so bad that people actually live underground."

"Yeah, and learning how to shoot was one of the first things they taught us in combat schools," Nora finished with a hearty burp. "Hoo, that was good! Thanks again, Weiss!"

"You're… welcome." Weiss crinkled her nose in disgust, subtly inching away from the rowdy redhead. "Ugh."

"Huh, so that's a Mistral thing, then?" Jasmine asked, intrigued. "Back in my day, I've had a teammate who was from Mistral. Always found it weird how he carried his rifle everywhere he went, even to bed. Guess that explains why."

"Well, not every Mistralians have such, uh, quirks. It was probably just your friend, ma'am," Pyrrha politely stated.

"None of that 'ma'am' stuff, that makes me feel old. And yeah, probably. The guy was a bit of a weirdo, and coming from me, that's saying something."

The Winterbournes stayed for yet another hour, exchanging stories with the former Huntress about her early days, then bid the woman a farewell as they returned to their posts atop the walls. On their way back, Pyrrha caught another glimpse of the hulking man they encountered earlier. Dismissing it as a mere coincidence, Pyrrha thought nothing more of it.

Because of that, she didn't see the man surreptitiously glancing at them, before disappearing around the corner.

* * *

Hazel Rainart's eyes followed the retreating backs of the four girls he glimpsed from earlier, then continued on his way. They were mere students, even if one of them was a nationally renowned tournament champion. If they ever stood in his way, he could easily break them into pieces.

He made his way back to Watt's temporary residence, now converted as a safehouse of sorts for the White Fang and other associates as they made preparation for the upcoming operation.

Noticing his presence, the White Fang operatives paused in mid-activity. "Sir," one of the closest specialist saluted.

Hazel nodded with a hint of approval. Compared to the rest of the common goons that made up the bulk of the White Fang's manpower, these Infiltrators showed greater self-discipline and control, not to mention deadlier and more efficient, however small they were in numbers. Given the importance of the task at hand, it only made sense that Adam entrusted such delicate missions to these specialist units. "Preparations?"

"Almost done, sir. We'll be ready to set out in a moment's notice." One of the Infiltrators killed the light, and another activated a three-dimensional holographic map of the city of Midgard. Several co-ordinates were highlighted in red.

"We proceed as planned. The first four squads are in charge of disabling the generators in their assigned locations." Hazel pointed at the four glowing co-ordinates. Another pinged on the map, this one directly at the centre of the city, a spectral line flowing towards all four markers.

"This," Hazel pointed at the central marker, "is where the auxiliary power lies. When any one of these generators are sabotaged, the information relay automatically triggers the activation of this back-up system, temporarily restoring any sabotaged power stations back to full capacity."

The Infiltrators present all nodded in understanding. Even if they were to succeed in wrecking the generators, the auxiliary system could easily rectify any damages inflicted. As such, the back-up power station was just as important a target as any of the other four outlying generators.

Hazel knew this, as well. "I will see to this station myself. I want the fifth squad on standby, ready to intervene in a moment's notice should any reinforcements arrive."

"Yes, sir."

Hazel nodded. "Good. Move out."

The Infiltrators left in their assigned squads, armours concealed underneath ordinary civilian clothing and their weapons hidden in their bags. In the eyes of the public, they were a group of tourists, chatting and laughing amongst themselves as they took in the sights. None were any wiser about their true intentions, nor to the fact that their ordinary, civilian lives were going to take a drastic turn, for the worse.

* * *

Jaune jerked awake, slowly shaking the sleepy daze away. He didn't realise he had fallen asleep, and for a moment he panicked when he found himself in an unknown room, plunged in darkness. Realisation was quick to catch up and he sighed dejectedly. How much time has passed since they were locked up in here? Everything was quiet, and it was unnerving. Did Roman set off the train? Did the White Fang leave? What if they were the only two people left in here, forever trapped?

Looking down, he saw that Ruby was still fast asleep, though with her face facing up. That gave him a good view of a thin trail of drool that ran from the corner of her lips down to her chin. He found it rather cute, if he had to admit. Still, as much as he found her sleeping face rather adorable to look at, his legs started to feel numb. He shifted his legs ever so slightly so as not to startle her awake, and hopefully, gently, rouse her out of her sleep.

Ruby mumbled something in her sleep, then simply switched her position to better make herself comfortable, applying further pressure to his leg. Jaune sighed. "Ruby."

Ruby didn't stir. With a shake of his head, he tried again, only to stop when he heard a door slam open in the distance, the corridor, if he remembered correctly. The heavy footsteps, two different sets, at least, sounded awfully loud, though not loud enough to block out the conversation that slipped through the gap between the door and the floor.

"…I mean, for fuck's sake, the damn whore OD's on ice before she finished blowing me off, _and_ the skank tried to rip me off! Fucking humans."

"I've got some helpful advice for 'ya, Perry; stop fucking wasting money on hookers."

The man identified as Perry cursed in gravelly voice. "Eat shit and fuck off, Dom. My dick ain't gonna suck itself."

In the cell, Jaune frowned. He didn't find their brusque diction at all appropriate. He was glad that Ruby was asleep at that point.

The other man, another White Fang guard, Jaune presumed, cackled in response. "That what you said to Violet the other day?"

Perry growled. "She tried to bite my dick off, the crazy bitch! Should'a bashed her damn skull in when I had the chance."

Dom giggled in his wheezy pitch. "I thought you liked it rough."

"Shut the fuck up!"

The man, Dom cackled again. Jaune heard him as he rapped the door to the cell. "So, you're actually gonna do it?"

"Damn fucking straight! Been goddamn weeks since I last had a good fuck, dry spell's a bitch."

Jaune tensed up, not at all liking where this conversation was going.

Dom snorted. "Oi, you know that girl's still a minor, right?"

What Perry said next sent chills running down Jaune's spine. "Never stopped me before." There was laughter in his voice, and Jaune felt rather sick to his stomach.

The doorknob was wrenched open, and Jaune moved so that his body covered Ruby from their view. He knew it was a futile move on his part, but he just couldn't simply sit there and do nothing.

Unfortunately, in his haste to provide what little cover he could impart on his partner, he shifted his legs abruptly, startling her awake. Groggy from her nap, Ruby sleepily stared at Jaune, confused as to see the look of pure panic that spread across his face. "Jaune? Wha-?"

The light came on, and Jaune could finally see the two wretched Faunus in flesh; both were of average height, one thin like a stick and the other with a round girth around the middle. The latter stepped closer to the cell, his beady eyes locked on to Ruby with less than pure intentions.

"Jaune? What's going on?"

The portly White Fang mook grinned, and Jaune threw himself in front of Ruby, equal parts out of fear and anger. "Don't you dare touch her!"

Perry snarled, and slammed the butt of his rifle into Jaune's face, knocking him flat on his back. Ruby cried out and tried to move to his side, only to be held back by the Faunus. With a jerk of his head, Dom pinned Jaune down with his foot, cocking his rifle in a threatening manner.

"See that, girlie? If you don't do as I say, we'll blow your boyfriend's fucking brains out. Got that?" Ruby didn't answer, too afraid to form a coherent sentence. "I said, got that?!"

"No! Leave her alone, goddamnit! Don't hurt her!"

"Shut up!" Dom applied more pressure on his foot, the metal sole digging into his flesh. Jaune screamed and flailed, more out of desperation than pain.

"Fuck, that kid's annoying! Dom, just shoot him!" Perry yelled.

"Wait, seriously? What if Roman wanted him alive?"

"You dumbass, he doesn't give a crap! Just fucking shoot him already!"

"No, don't! Please, don't!"

"Alright, I'll do it already, god!"

"NO!"

Amidst the chaos, the light bulb overhead flickered, then died completely. Everything stopped, and the two White Fang goons looked upward. "What the fu-"

There was a quiet hiss, then the pressure that pinned Jaune down lessened. Confusion swiftly turned to quiet horror when an outline of _something_ fell next to him. It didn't take him long to realise that it was a head.

Perry, due to his animalistic heritage, noticed his friend's suddenly displaced head off his shoulders. Before he could cry out, another hiss rang out, this time distinctively louder. Unlike his friend, Perry made a gurgling noise as his upper half slid down on the ground, his lower half standing comically erect with blood gushing out from the cut.

Ruby couldn't scream, her throat suddenly going numb, even as a wisp of darkness materialised in front of her. Two burning red eyes morphed, and Ruby had to remind herself to breathe.

" **Can you see me?"** The darkness spoke.

Ruby nodded in numb silence. The darkness congregated until it grew larger, then dissipated, revealing a person. It was a woman, Ruby realised, as she made out the defined curves and contours of her figure. Her face was hidden beneath a full mask that resembled a Grimm, though behind the slits she could see the two burning red eyes, sharp and strangely alluring.

"W-who are you?" Ruby asked in trepidation, as the masked stranger untied them. "How did you…?"

"So curious a child," the woman said with a trace of amusement. "You're just like _him_."

"' _Him'_?"

The red-eyed woman crossed her arms. "I would give answers to any questions you have, child, but this is neither the time nor the place for it. The Grimm stirs beneath the earth, and will overrun this area, soon."

"Wait, what?"

Raven offered Ruby her hand. "Again, there's little time. Come!"

Ruby hesitated. Grateful as she was with the mysterious woman's timely intervention, there was no telling if the woman did so with ulterior motives. Farfetched, perhaps, but then again, everything about the woman practically screamed unnatural.

Locking eyes with Jaune, she could see him mentally debating over the merits of accepting the stranger's offer. Doubt never left his eyes, but logic dictated that their demise was almost a certainty should they refused. With a sceptical nod, he conveyed his thoughts on the matter.

That was good enough for Ruby, and the two reached for her outstretched hand, only for the woman to pull back. "I'm sorry," the woman quietly said, "but I cannot take your friend with us."

"What?" Jaune and Ruby said in unison. "Why not?"

Raven's eyes flickered to Jaune, eyes softening a tad in what he assumed was pity. "He's not one of us. If I were to take him, it would most certainly kill him."

Jaune gaped in confusion. Before he could ask for elaboration, a deep cough forced itself out of his lungs, and he clutched his chest in exertion. Ruby was quick to move to his side for support, lips thin as there was little she could do to alleviate whatever was ailing him. Turning to the woman, she quietly pleaded for her help.

The woman obliged, lowering down on one knee and taking a closer look at the boy. Her brows furrowed in concentration, then her red eyes slid over to Ruby, glinting with suspicion. "What have you done to him?"

The sudden question and the almost accusatory tone caught Ruby off-guard. "I- What? I haven't done anything to him!"

The woman said nothing, and Ruby decided to extrapolate. "We… there was an earthquake, and we fell down into one of the tunnels. I don't know how long we've been stuck down there, but he's been sick like this since then."

Jaune coughed again, much to her distress. "Please, he needs help! Please help us!"

"You phased with him, haven't you?" The woman observed, talking mostly to herself. "Strange, how is it that he's still alive? Unless…"

The woman took another look at the sick blonde closer. There was a brief instance of recognition that soon turned to a scowl, much to Ruby's confusion. "I see."

"Can you help us?" Ruby asked again.

"The answer remains the same. I cannot, and will not, take him with us," the woman said icily. "Now leave him, he's as good as dead."

"No." Ruby's voice was surprisingly firm. The woman was taken aback, apparently not having expected such a response from the girl.

"Did you not hear me, child? If you do not take my hand, you will die here, with your friend." The woman crossed her arms, a tad irritated at the girl's stubbornness. It was an ultimatum; leave Jaune and live, or stay with him and die. The woman was resolute in her offer.

So too was Ruby, for that matter. "I'm not leaving him."

Jaune quietly listened, his rapidly pulsating heart slowly reverting to its normal tempo. For a second he feared for the worst, that Ruby would accept the woman's offer and leave him here to die, alone. A self-depreciating thought nagged at the back of his psyche, how he should've urged the girl to at least save herself, for it would've been better than both of them kicking the bucket. Besides, her life was worth more than his own.

He clamped down on that thought, quashing it hard and ruthlessly. Was it selfish of him to wanting to live, even if it meant possibly placing another's life at risk?

The woman seemed less than pleased with Ruby's answer. Jaune shuddered when the woman shot him a scathing look, almost as if accusing him for causing Ruby's declination. With a shake of her head the woman conceded. "Out through the corridor, on the far end of the hall lies a trap door. That will lead you back to the surface."

The masked woman took out a key and placed it in Ruby's hand. "This will unlock the cell three doors from here, on your right. That's where you'll find your gears."

"T-thank you. But how will we escape? The White Fang-"

"-will not be a problem, that is, if you're fast enough. I'll give you the time you'll need to escape. Good luck – you'll need it." With that, the darkness shrouded the masked woman, and disappeared.

The two sat there for a moment, staring at the space where the woman stood mere moments ago. Both jumped when they heard gunfire from the hall across the corridor, accompanied by din of outraged cries and screams. Taking that as a cue, the two Regalities leapt to their feet and headed for the aforementioned storage cell. The key worked, and placed on the table were their signature weapons. Ruby allowed herself a moment to relish the reunion with her beloved hybrid death machine, giving it a quick once-over to ensure that it was still in working condition.

Jaune did the same with his Crocea Mors, with the noticeable absence of the sheath. Seeing how the sword belt was practically obsolete without the scabbard, he opted to carry the sword in his hand instead. A bit cumbersome, to be sure, but at least it saved him some time from having to draw his sword out for fights, and given the circumstances, confrontations were highly probable.

Their weapons secure, they hastily made their way to the hall. Whatever the masked woman did, the effects certainly showed. It was chaos filled with burning crates and thick clouds of smoke, while the White Fang rabbles ran amok in panic, trying to quell the fire that was slowly but surely spreading. Too busy fighting the wildfire, Jaune and Ruby were able to slip inside with relative ease.

"Which way?" Ruby loudly muttered as they hid behind a water tank.

"Shit! Let's see… uh…" The smoke from the fire made it hard for him to see. Ruby tried to peek over the edge, only to yelp when a White Fang guard crashed into the water tank, his body lit on fire. The commotion drew the attention of nearby guards, and they reached for their weapons, yelling.

"Run!" Jaune yelled, though Ruby needed no further prompting. They dived for cover behind a stack of cargo yet untouched by the fire, just as several bullets whizzed past their ears. Panting, they tightened their grips on their weapons, ready to fight if need be.

"Found you, humans!" Startled, the duo looked up just as a White Fang guard jumped down from above, brandishing a long machete. Ruby, in her moment of displaying her fast reflexes, lunged at Jaune and pushed them both out of harm's way, sending them sprawling on the ground. There was a screech of metal hitting the concrete pavement, and the Faunus growled in annoyance. Raising the long machete the Faunus charged them again.

They rolled out of the way, and clumsily rose to their feet, weapons ready. The Faunus' eyes jumped between Ruby and Jaune, assessing his targets, before settling on the latter. The White Fang insurgent swung hard, and Jaune raised his blade in response, blocking the hit. With a devilish grin the Faunus lashed out his foot and kicked Jaune in the leg. Hissing in pain Jaune faltered, and the terrorist capitalised on the brief window of vulnerability, slamming Jaune in the face with the pommel.

"Jaune!" Crescent Rose shifted into its sniper rifle form, and Ruby peered through the scope. Taking aim at the White Fang insurgent's head, Ruby tried to pull the trigger, only to realise that her finger was trembling. Clenching her eyes shut, she lowered the rifle and aimed for his foot instead.

One round, and the Faunus howled, clutching his profusely bleeding foot. Like most other White Fang grunts, this one did not have the protective Aura to rely on for protection and restoration. Jaune kicked the Faunus off to the side, scrambling to his feet. Grabbing Ruby they continued to run through the fire and the smoke.

The wall to the side exploded outward, and the resulting blast forced them to stop. From the clouds of dust a figure appeared. Upon realisation Ruby's face lit up in joy. "Yang!"

"Ruby? Ruby!" Within seconds both sisters were locked in a fierce embrace, neither caring that they were crying without restraint. Even though it was only for a short time, the hazardous ordeals they each went through only made the union that much more significant.

Behind her, Ren and Oobleck followed through the hole, the former catching Jaune with a firm one-armed hug, a gesture that seemed rather out of place from someone who was usually the calm and the reserved one of the team. Jaune didn't waste time in returning the embrace, all too happy to see the rest of his team alive and in one piece.

Their dramatic entrance did not go unnoticed, and the White Fang guards in the vicinity reacted in predictably violent manner. Oobleck was quick to step in, deflecting the bullets with his thermic lance.

"Now's not the time, kids! We're getting out of here, now!"

"Wait wait wait!" Ruby shouted as the Huntsman half-dragged them away from the hall and towards a narrow passageway, where at the end stood a rusted ladder bolted on the wall. "Stop!"

"Ruby, what? What is it?"

"Professor, that train – Roman Torchwick, explosives, Midgard, danger!" The words came out in jumbles, though what coherence Ruby managed was enough to convey the core message, as well as the heavily implied urgency.

"Are you certain of this?" Oobleck asked, his voice serious.

"Yes, sir," Jaune pitched in, briefly stopping to cough. "Roman himself told us. Or rather, he blabbered it all."

Oobleck quietly took it in, noting that both Jaune and Ruby were deathly serious. "This is bad. Very bad, indeed."

"Anyone here who's still got a working scroll?" Jaune asked, not surprised when they all shook their heads in negative. "Then-then the military outpost! We have to head there ASAP! Tell them about the train-"

The historian shook his head sadly. "That won't be possible, unfortunately. The outpost's been wiped off the map. And even if it wasn't, it wouldn't have been possible to reach them in time."

"So what do we do?!" Ruby shouted, panicking.

Before any of them could answer, the entire cavern shook rather ominously. For the second time in that moment, another wall exploded, though with much greater force. For an instance, everything stopped, all eyes turned to the newly formed hollow on the wall. Breaking the silence was an insidious moan that echoed from the depth, accompanied by cacophony of clacking jaws and shrieks.

Like a bursting dam, from the darkness swarm of Grimm poured through, the kind that bred only below the earth, where no light could reach. The White Fang grunts closest to the hole were the first to fall, their heads bitten off and devoured whole by strange Grimm with vertically opening maws.

The White Fang replied in kind, and soon the cavernous hall echoed with dissonance of gunshots and dying screams.

"This would be a _very_ good time to get the fuck out of this shithole!" Yang hollered over the noise, sidestepping a swing of an axe that tried to relieve her head off her shoulders. She retaliated with a leg sweep and a savage punch to the gut, sending the offending guard sprawling.

"Professor, we have to decide! Now!" Ren yelled, twisting deftly as another otherworldly Grimm lunged at him, this one crouching on four clawed feet, flapping its leathery bat-like wings in a threatening gesture. It's skeletal head shared disturbing similarities to that of a human, strips of black fur peeling off, revealing bones underneath.

"Professor! The train!" Jaune and Ruby urged.

As if to guide their hands, the cavern rumbled, and the moaning grew louder, until its source revealed itself. Large blobs of translucent slime paved its way, and what they could only describe as a gargantuan slug slithered into view. Writhing tentacles connected its numerous eyes to its body, blinking, jerking. With another ghastly moan, the great slug Grimm spat a jet of its acidic saliva, and those unfortunate enough to stand in its line of fire were instantly liquefied, leaving behind green-tinted charred skeletons behind.

Much to the horror of those nearby, the slime squelched and conglomerated around the skeletal remains, forming what seemed like sentient globs of slime that struck at others that stood too close, the remains of their former comrades suspended in its protoplasmic mass, skulls frozen in eerie laughter.

"Children, board the train! Quickly!" Oobleck ushered them towards the train, pushing and cutting and shooting and carving their paths through the swaths of struggling Faunus terrorists and advancing Grimm. The hiss of engines saw to them sprinting full-pelt towards one of the cars, practically throwing themselves inside.

Glancing over the edge of the car, the Regalities and their supervising Huntsman blanched at the sight of the massacre. The White Fang insurgent forces were being decimated left and right, devoured and crushed and shredded, all the while more and more Grimm poured in, their numbers seemingly endless.

"Goddamnit, why isn't this shitty train leaving already?!" Yang roared as the tidal wave of Grimm drew precariously closer to the train. The irony of the statement wasn't lost on the desperate group, though no one stopped to appreciate the humour, too tense and wound up to focus on anything other than their immediate survival.

After agonisingly long moments, the train finally began to move. Few of the White Fang grunts ran after the moving train, having abandoned their arms and their will to fight, after standing witness to the merciless slaughter of their comrades. The train's velocity picked up, and their desperate screams chased after the Regalities, and they did their best to ignore it all, bearing it with gritted teeth and solemn silence.

* * *

 **A/N: Been a while (I think?). Good to pick up writing again after some time of doing... other stuff.**

 **I've acquired a book filled with Lovecraftian stories quite recently, and the whole 'eldritch, incomprehensible deities' concept really intrigued me, hence the source of inspiration for some of the highly abnormal Grimm in recent chapters. The style of writing may seem a little unusual compared to the modern varieties, but it'll be easier to read than, say, Lord of the Rings trilogy. Still a great book, though.**

 **Anyways, notes about this chapter: this was actually supposed to be longer (like, nearly twice the word count) according to the chapter summary I planned and wrote ahead some time ago. But after several re-writes and edits, I decided to simply break it into two, so as to avoid overloading a chapter with like 20k+ words.**


	21. Act 2: Chapter 12

**ACT 2: No Brakes**

* * *

 _"You know what's strange? So many Hunters you see traipsing about are predominantly humans. You'd only see a handful of them walking around with telltale signs of their bestial heritage, and that's if you're lucky. There's a reason for that, see._

 _"Earlier, Qrow gave a brief introductory lecture about the Faunus, correct? I'd like to expand a bit more about their genetics - the genome sequences the scientists were able to map out showed near identical match to that of a normal human's, though albeit with noticeable discrepancies, presumably to account for their, well, animalistic traits. Still, that leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and a chief one among them is Aura, or rather, lack thereof. Take a sample population size of a hundred for instance; the number of Faunus individuals that can manifest Aura could be counted by fingers in one hand. For humans, it's more of a coin toss._

 _"Scientists are still scratching their heads about why this happens. Some speculate that the genes required for Aura manifestation and Faunus' bestial characteristics are mutually exclusive, and so competing over one another for dominance. Most of the time, the latter wins, though on rare occasions, a little genetic mutation allows for the two genes to, well, co-exist to a degree, allowing certain Faunus individuals to utilise Aura, while still retaining their Faunus heritage._

 _"Another theory, albeit far-fetched in the eyes of many, suggests that Faunus was once humanity's ancestors, and that the first humans were born when the 'Aura genes' became the dominant strains, and atrophied the Faunus' animalistic traits, rendering it vestigial. If you examine the human skeletal system, you can see the coccyx, also known as tail bone. Doesn't it remind you of, say, a tail? What of the wisdom teeth, the muscles connected to the ear? Doesn't seem so far-fetched now, does it?"_

-Taiyang Xiao Long

* * *

Another train car decoupled itself, and team RALY jumped on to the next car. Within seconds, the car exploded in a ball of raging fire, resulting in yet another crater forming overhead, and Grimm poured down the hole from the surface above. This was the third, and by now the Regalities had a solid grasp on the full extent of Roman's plan.

The cab of the train, the locomotive, was several carriages ahead of them, the otherwise clear path obstructed by White Fang insurgents who were aboard. Their suppressive fire forced the team of aspiring Hunters to duck into one of the compartment, this one thankfully devoid of timed explosives.

Their moment of respite was brief, as the carriage door slid open, and in rushed more White Fang guards, fully armed. Clangs of steel rang as both sides locked weapons, team RALY being forced on the defensive, their full combat potentials hindered by their hesitation to use lethal force against those who could not utilise Aura in any tangible forms as means of protection.

The White Fang terrorists had no such qualms. And neither did Bartholomew Oobleck, for that matter. The image of a studious scholar was gone, and in his place stood a formidable Huntsman, well-learned in the arts of murder to a brutally efficient degree. His thermic lance in his grasps, he shot a jet of fire, capitalising on the narrow passageway of the train doorway to bottleneck his opposition, effectively cooking them alive. Those who stood near the back scampered away in retreat.

Yang and Ren gaped at their supervising Huntsman, perturbed by his murderous acts. Granted, their circumstances couldn't afford them any leniency to act otherwise, but still, murder was murder.

Oobleck didn't bat an eye. They weren't his first students to regard him with such looks, and as long as he remained a professor, he was certain they weren't going to be the last.

Jaune and Ruby, on the other hand, didn't seem as disturbed, almost as if they've seen it before.

"Children- no, _students_ ," Oobleck corrected himself, for the hardships they've gone through and was about to face was going to undoubtedly change them. "As your superior and as your teacher, I have one, and only one, order for you all, and that is to stop this train, no matter the cost. We can't afford to fail, there are too many lives are at stake."

The four Regalities froze, their complexion turning pale. The true extent of the responsibilities resting on their shoulders was beginning to dawn on them, as well as the disastrous consequences that could follow if they failed. The burden was crushingly heavy, and Oobleck hated that things had to come down to this.

It felt wrong, forcing these students to bear burdens that shouldn't have been theirs to begin with. Even though they were all here by their own volitions, they were still children, innocent youths.

Was it determination that spurred them, or resignation to the inevitable? Or perhaps teetering on the fine line between the two? Regardless, Oobleck watched them in pride as the Regalities locked eyes with one another, seeing their own resolve reflected in others' eyes, and collectively nodded as one.

"Thank you, all of you," said Oobleck. Brandishing his lance, he led them through the door to the next carriage, team RALY falling in line behind him. More White Fang soldiers came to meet them head-on, the forefront insurgent crashing into Yang in a storm of fists and kicks. Though physically smaller, Yang's skills proved superior as she blocked a kick with hers, sweeping the Faunus off his feet with her other leg and slammed him down with a beatdown.

Ren displayed his combat prowess in a contrasting style of grace, letting a wild punch thrown in his direction barely slide over him, before pulling his opponent closer and delivered a powerful strike with his palm, the resulting momentum knocking the Faunus over, unconscious. Another Faunus stepped in, her twin daggers poised to strike the Eastern Mistralian, were it not for Ruby's sharp eyes as she shot the blades out of the grunt's hand. A moment of befuddlement from the White Fang soldier was long enough for the adept to incapacitate the soldier with a swift chop to the neck.

While lacking the finesse of his arguably superior companions, Jaune stood fast, holding his own ground against his own opponent, a Faunus with a similar taste in blunt weapons as his personal nemesis, Cardin Winchester. However, unlike his former tormentor, this brute of a Faunus wasn't a Huntsman in training, but a thug with a weapon.

Using the Faunus' own momentum against him, Jaune sidestepped a blow from his opponent and bypassed his guard, intent on cutting him with his blade, only to hold himself back at the last minute and tried to bludgeon the terrorist with the flat side of his sword instead.

That proved to be a mistake, as the blow bounced off the Faunus' armoured vest, leaving Jaune open for an attack. Wide-eyed, Jaune could only watch as the grinning Faunus raised his mace to deliver a fatal blow.

Oobleck was quick to step in and skewered the Faunus right through his sternum, kicking the corpse off his lance.

"Professor, I-" Jaune stammered.

"Do not hold back, Mr. Arc!" The historian barked. "Hesitate for even an instance, and you not only put your own life at risk, but your friends' as well! Many people could die if we don't stop this train, remember that, Mr. Arc!"

Oobleck tilted his head as a bladed projectile whisked past him, and countered with a swift thrust that caught the assailant square in the neck, instantly killing him. Lifting his lance with the body still impaled, Oobleck rammed against a cluster of White Fang guards, forcing them back until they found themselves pinned against the car wall. With a flick of switch jet of fire hissed forth, incinerating the whole lot of them alive.

"You bastard!" One of the few remaining Faunus insurgents bull-rushed the historian, screaming bloody-murder. Yang decided to intercept the enraged Faunus and shot her fist forward. The punch unintentionally carried more force than intended, and the struck Faunus crashed into the train carriage's side door. The Faunus flailed, succumbing to the momentum that carried him out through the door and down into the track, straight into the train wheels like ground meat.

"Shit, I… That wasn't what I… I didn't mean to…" Yang stood rooted on the spot, wide-eyed. A hand clasped on her shoulder, and the blonde fighter jumped, face frozen in panic. "Prof, it was an accident, I swear I didn't mean to-"

"You did what you had to, Miss Xiao Long. It wasn't your fault," Oobleck reassured her. "I understand that it's difficult, but I must ask you to be strong, for your team, for the people of Midgard."

"Right, right, I… got it." Yang took a shuddering breath, attempting to hold herself together. She regained her bearings, but refused to meet anyone's eyes, fearing what she'd see in theirs if she did.

"Yang…"

Yang squeezed her eyes shut. "Sorry Ruby, just… not now, 'kay? Please."

As if struck, Ruby recoiled, but obliged nonetheless. With one last glance at the distressed blonde, Oobleck led the Regalities to the next car, Ruby following close behind. Yang allowed Jaune to pass through first, before trailing after him. Another hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks, and she turned to see Ren's piercing eyes meeting hers.

"It's alright. We've got your back," Ren said.

Yang's breath hitched. There was neither accusation nor disapproval in his eyes, only sincerity. Unable to form a word without breaking down, she simply nodded, turning away so he couldn't see the tears that welled up in her eyes.

The next train car was empty, though the door leading to the next carriage was malfunctioning. Oobleck pointed at the hatch overhead and the ladder that hung down from its edge, and climbed up.

"Whoa…!" Jaune swayed as he tried to balance himself on a fast-moving train car. The walls of the tunnel sped past them in blurs, and he felt the familiar sensation of nausea creeping up his digestive tract. The urgency of the circumstances helped him retain his dignity somewhat, and he managed to stave the urge to vacate the contents of his stomach, however little there was to heave up.

They jumped over to the next carriage with relative ease. The hatch was sealed, though Ruby easily bypassed the problem by shooting it open. She jumped down first, Jaune following close behind, sword at the ready. There was no welcoming reception from the hostile Faunus, much to their relief.

It was short-lived, however. From several carriages ahead, the White Fang insurgents brought out the big guns, and several Atlesian Vikings jumped into view. Modelled after the Paladin prototype, the Vikings were smaller, though still boasted considerable armour and firepower. Designed with heavy frontline combat in mind, the Vikings were outfitted with twin gatling cannons that fired 20mm rounds with deadly accuracy.

Oobleck swore. He was under the impression that the Vikings were still undergoing field tests in military research stations in Atlas. How did the White Fang ever get their hands on these war machines?

Said war machines slowly advanced, the automatic cannons slowly spinning to life, ready to empty its lethal payload on the intruders. In a split second Oobleck acted, and shoved Ren and Yang down the hatch.

"Prof, what are you doing!" Ruby called up as she helped her sister to her feet, Jaune doing the same for Ren.

"There's no time to explain! You students must stop this train, and fast! We're running out of time!" Without further explanation Oobleck darted out of the view. Moments later the four Regalities dove for cover when 20mm rounds punched through the carriage roof, narrowly missing them.

"What the shit-fuck!" Yang cried as they shakily rose to their feet, eyes bulging at the sheer size of numerous holes where the rounds punched through.

"Now would be a _very_ good time to leave!" Jaune yelled, and made for the door. None of the Regalities objected, all too glad to vacate the area before it got too hot.

The sound of skirmish above the car made Ruby halt in her tracks. "Guys, professor Oobleck-"

Jaune gritted his teeth. "There's nothing we can do! We'll just have to trust him to handle it on his own!"

"Jaune's right," Ren added. "Our primary objective is to stop this train. If we don't, all of this would've been for nothing."

Ruby nodded reluctantly. "Alright."

The Regality quartet proceeded to the next carriage. This one, too, was void of White Fang presence, yet another stroke of luck, unexpected but by no means unwelcome. It just made their tasks that much easier. With hopeful looks, the Regalities pushed on, Ruby and Jaune in the lead.

Ren brought their rear, about to follow them through the door, when he caught a movement in the corner of his periphery, a minute detail overlooked by the rest of his team. His instinct kicked in, and he raised his StormFlower just in time to parry a hit from an unknown assailant.

The clash of steel brought the rest of the Regalities to a screeching halt. "Ren, what's wrong?"

Instead of answering, Ren opened fire on the seemingly empty space before him, his perceptive eyes tracking something they could not see. Ren raised his StormFlower blades again, this time blocking against the same invisible force that struck him hard, enough to send him staggering back a few steps.

"Ren!" Seeing their teammate under attack prompted them to fall into battle stances, ready to rush to his aid when Ren blocked their advances with an outstretched arm.

"No, you all need to stop this train. I've got this."

"But Ren-"

"Damnit, hurry up and go! Now!" Ren shouted. The outburst caught them off-guard, and the three Regalities exchanged looks, uncertain.

"Shitshitshit!" Jaune cursed loudly, before turning and sprinted to the door on the other end, Ruby following his lead. Neither of them wanted to leave their teammate behind, but they both knew they had no other choice. Their task was far too big for them to do otherwise.

Yang was torn, one half wanting to stay behind and fight with her partner, while the other urged her to run ahead. The latter half won, and Yang forced her legs to move, cursing herself with every step that led her away from the Eastern gunslinger.

"You-you better win! Don't you dare fucking die on me, you hear me?!"

The corner of his lips curved upwards. Come hell or high water, he could always rely on Yang to show that she cared in her own, outwardly callous way.

"You find this funny, do you?" A feminine voice rang out. Ren raised his guard when the air shimmered before his eyes, and a Faunus materialised from thin air like an apparition, one that was clad in form-fitting bodysuit. Had it been under different context, Ren would've appreciated the woman's feminine characteristics. Instead, he raised his automatic handguns and fired.

In a display of dexterity no human could achieve, the Faunus twisted and somersaulted in midair, letting the bullets sail past her slender form. Before she landed on her feet her whip lashed out, catching Ren squarely across the jaw, catching him off-guard.

"Aw, did that hurt?" The Faunus giggled, her furry ears twitching.

Ren said nothing as he opened fire again. The feline White Fang Infiltrator deflected them with flurry of her whips, before she flogged him again, striking from unexpected angles, easily snaking past his guards.

Ceasing fire, he decided to adopt a different approach. Uncollapsing the blades attached to his handguns, he tried to dodge under her whips to close the distance between them, only to be forcefully stopped when the whip flogged him across his torso.

The Eastern Regality gritted his teeth. This woman, whoever she was, was not like the common White Fang rabbles he encountered before. Her unorthodox style of fighting with her whips made it difficult for him to engage her in close quarters. The narrow boundaries of the train carriage only served to further restrict his mobility.

The feline Infiltrator smirked, amused. "Don't tell me this is all you've got." With another flourish of her whip she sent Ren skidding back several steps. Ren tried to block, but failed as the Infiltrator aimed for his legs. The whip coiled around his leg, and the Infiltrator gave a savage tug, slamming the Easterner down on his back.

Ren grunted in pain. Gingerly he tried to stand up, only to be pinned down by the Infiltrator's foot on his chest, his StormFlower kicked out of his hands. "That was a cute little sound you made there. It'd be much better if I got you to scream, though. The young ones always make the best noise." She finished with a slow lick of her lips.

Ren retorted with a kick, buckling the woman off him. He rolled out of the way and tried to reach his weapons, only to be jerked back when the whip snaked around his throat and tightened like a noose.

"Where are you going, cutie? I haven't finished playing with you just yet. Now go on, squeal, human! Squeal!" The Infiltrator laughed almost hysterically as Ren choked and struggled. His Aura was weakening from the persistent pressure, and his vision started to dim and flicker. In a last-ditch effort he reached for the curved knives he carried on person, and furiously sawed the blade against the whip. The noose was cut, and Ren fell on all fours, gasping desperately for air.

"Bastard!" The Infiltrator kicked him in the chest. As Ren doubled over, she kicked him again, this time aiming for his face. He fell to the ground, dazed from the repeated battery.

Tossing the cut whip to the side, the feline Faunus drew out a long stiletto, and held its needle-like blade before Ren's eyes in a threatening manner.

"You humans just don't know when to fucking quit, do you?" She pinned him on the ground with her knee, the tip of the dagger positioned above Ren's left eye. "It's a pity – I hate killing those with a pretty face, human or not. But this operation's bigger than all of us, and we can't let anyone stand in our way."

Ren said nothing, his expression unreadable. If anything his silence only further fed her amusement. "Playing the silent hero, hmm? Let's see how long you can last before you break, shall we? However this operation turns out we're all going to die either way, so might as well enjoy myself when I can."

Her mocking smile turned to a sneer. "How about we start with your eyes? You humans did the same to my folks, this oughta even the scale." With a snarl, the Infiltrator held up the dagger and stabbed down.

Ren was faster, however. With the karambit still in his hand, he drove the claw-like blade straight through her temple. The Infiltrator died almost instantly, her mouth agape, frozen in dismay.

Ren pushed the dead Infiltrator off him, and dragged himself to the corner of the train car, where he threw up. Closing his eyes, he held his trembling hands together to keep them still. It was in vain; he could still feel the vibration of steel biting through flesh and bone, and blood dripped through his fingers.

 _Plip. Plip. Plip._

The blood brought back unpleasant fragments of his past to the fore, the day when he acted as the Reaper's messenger for the first time, albeit unintentionally. It was one of the main reasons why he chose to leave Mistral, for wipe clean his slate.

And now, he tainted it once more, this time by choice. That didn't make it any easier for him to stomach it, however.

* * *

The train door hissed open, and the three Regalities stepped into yet another empty car. Unlike before, however, they proceeded with caution. Their first run-in with an invisible enemy left them rather shaken, eyes open and ears focused for even the slightest of noises or shimmering air.

A muted gunshot rang from the previous carriage, and Yang stopped dead in her tracks, fists clenched. Ren was fighting, alone, and it was eating away at her.

"Yang." Jaune and Ruby stopped as well, and Yang could tell they too, were visibly distressed.

"I know. Goddamnit, I know."

Jaune gave her a solemn nod. "The sooner we stop this train, the sooner we can come back for Ren."

"Yeah…" Yang unclenched her fist. Something drew her attention ahead, and to her horror she saw _something_ dart towards Ruby, who was still facing Yang with her back to the _thing_ , none the wiser about the approaching danger.

"Ruby! Get down!" Her reflex kicking in, Yang snapped her fists forward and sent a fiery ball of raw kinetic energy hurtling towards the impending flicker. Ruby's own reflex proved just as fast, ducking just in time for the shot to soar past the air where her head would've been. She dodge-rolled to the side, absently registering Jaune backpedalling out of the line of fire.

"Yang, what the-" Jaune started, though was cut short when the shot hit its mark, dissipating into thin air, leaving behind in its place what seemed suspiciously like a parasol. A gloved hand folded it back down, and revealed their newest assailant in full view.

"Uh…" They gauged their current opposition with no small amount of uncertainty, for such a diminutive young woman seemed far too out of place amongst the grisly and bloodthirsty criminals of the White Fang organisation, especially with her choice of attire that exuded class, while still being easy on the eyes.

Yang was quick to return to her senses, and wasted no time in throwing the first punch. Whoever this woman was, she just tried to attack Ruby. Yang spent days in agony, fearing for her sister's life after they were separated. Seeing yet another attempt on taking her sister's life stoked a growing fire inside the fighter.

The chic girl nimbly dodged the punch, and the barrage of fists Yang threw in her direction. Yang raised her arms to block as the girl threw a back-kick. The amount of force behind the kick was surprisingly heavy, and Yang instinctively knew that this girl was not someone to be trifled with.

"Yang!" Ruby regained her bearings and shifted her Crescent Rose to its sniper form. Yet again her hands deliberately lowered her aims away from the vital body areas. As if sensing her hesitation, the girl blurred out of view, only to reappear behind Ruby. The caped leader of team RALY cried out when the woman landed a savage roundhouse kick and sent her flying.

"Shit, Ruby!" Jaune rushed to her side and half-crouched, helping her up with one hand and holding the sword pointed at the mysterious woman with the other. He doubted he could put up much of a fight, though he couldn't just stand and let this girl harm Ruby.

Yang, too, had a similar notion. Propelling herself forward with dual shotgun blasts, she closed in on the girl and attacked. Said girl nimbly flipped backwards and landed on one of the metal crates strewn about in one, fluid transition of motion.

"Yang-"

"Jaune, get Ruby and go on ahead!" Yang cracked her knuckles. "This bitch's mine."

"Yang, no! It's too dangerous!" Ruby stood up, Crescent Rose in one hand. The other still clutched her side where she was kicked.

Yang smirked, not taking her eyes off her opponent, who remained seated on the metal crate, watching the entire exchange with a mocking amusement. "Chillax, little sis! I totally have got this one in the bag."

"But-"

"Ruby," Jaune shook his head. "Let's leave this to Yang. Don't forget, we have to stop this train, and quickly, too."

Ruby chewed her lips, contemplating. With one last look at her sister, she reluctantly nodded and ran through the door to the next carriage. Jaune followed suit, silently praying for his friends' safety.

Yang heard the door slide shut behind her, then dropped the smile. Her now red eyes took on a decidedly murderous gleam. "You tried to hurt Ruby, and I just got her back. Hope that means you're ready to die, bitch."

Crossing her legs, the mysterious girl daintily laughed, unaffected by the blonde's death threats. Her mismatching eyes seemed to flicker between different shades with each blink in a mesmerising fashion. Yang shook her head clear and charged. Yang's foot shot forward, though her shorter opponent twirled around the leg and countered with a spinning hook kick. The sharp end of the heel caught Yang right in the face, and Yang stumbled back, temporarily disoriented.

This time the heterochromatic girl was on the offensive and jumped for a drop kick. Recovering quickly Yang grabbed the girl's leg and threw her with all her might, only to growl in annoyance as the girl landed on her feet, faking a yawning gesture.

"That's _it_!" With a roar Yang fired shotgun blasts from her gauntlet, though the girl unfolded her umbrella and simply blocked, with nary a scratch on the item. The blonde fighter sent another flurry of punches and kicks, and those too, the girl effortlessly dodged and danced around, before thrusting her umbrella and jabbing Yang in the stomach.

Gasping in sudden pain Yang jumped back, narrowing her eyes when she saw the girl nonchalantly swinging her umbrella, a sharp metal needle jutting out of the tip. If it wasn't for her Aura, that could've easily been fatal. And the girl seemed aware of the fact as well, her silent smile taking on a condescending note.

Digging into her side pouch, Yang took out fresh strips of kinetic shells and fed them to her explosive gauntlets, noting how they were her last, which meant that she had to make every shot count.

The silent girl leaned forward, gesturing her fingers in beckoning motion.

Yang obliged with another battle cry. Fire slowly danced across her body, and she felt its heat coursing through her, infusing her with strength. Her eyes turned blood-red, in its depth radiating promises of endless pain. And through them Yang saw the girl's mocking jeer slip, replaced with a visage of fear.

Blasting forward, Yang threw a powerful punch, this time connecting with her infuriatingly evasive opponent. Yang didn't allow a moment for the girl to catch her breath, and rained down blows upon blows on the girl with the mismatching eyes. She felt the vibration of breaking bones against her knuckles, the drops of blood that splattered against her face, and felt a shiver of sadistic joy upon seeing her mute adversary reduced to a splatter of red and flesh on the metal floor.

Before she knew it, Yang stood over the crushed remains of her opponent, victorious. Blood pumped in her veins and her breaths came in ragged gasps, still high on the adrenaline rush that her Semblance brought. She had killed, again, but more importantly, she had won.

Yang bellowed in triumph, her war cry more bestial than human. Her Semblance was slowly robbing her of rationale, but she was too drunk on victory to care.

Until she heard a quiet giggle behind her.

Her senses regaining its clarity, Yang whipped around, astonished to see the girl, alive.

"What the-" Yang snapped her gaze down to her feet, where the girl should've been, dead. The 'girl' lying dead by her feet shattered into ephemeral shards, fading to nothing. "What the fuck! I just killed you! I-"

The heterochromatic girl struck before Yang could finish with a high kick to the face, grappling the blonde fighter and threw her into the ceiling. The momentum of the throw sent her careening to the ground, depleting her Aura reserves as the flames on her body flickered and died.

Yang tried to will her body to move, to no avail. Setting loose her wild Semblance took its toll on her body, turning her muscles heavy and stiff, unresponsive. She could only glare as her wordless adversary sauntered into view, her visage smug.

Grasping the handle of her umbrella she drew out an estoc with deliberate slowness, grinning when she saw the blonde fighter's eyes lit up with fear. The girl's sadistic persona came to the fore, and took slow, leisurely steps around Yang, letting the tip of the thin blade caress the metal floor to prolong the agonising tension.

"Fuck… Fuck…!" Yang struggled, though she could barely muster enough energy to clench her hand to a fist. "Move, damn it… Move!"

The girl ceased playing around, and moved in for the killing blow, holding the estoc right above Yang's chest. She had no Aura left to protect her, no teammates to rush to her rescue.

Suddenly, beyond her peripheral vision, what appeared to be a cloudy mass of amorphous darkness struck the girl and knocked her away. Groaning, Yang strained her neck to see the cloud of shadows converging into a woman, her face hidden beneath a fearsome mask that resembled Grimm. Drawn in her hand was a blade reminiscent of a katana, albeit much longer in length.

Perhaps startled by the mysterious woman's intervention, the mute girl flourished her umbrella, and in a blink of an eye disappeared into thin air.

With the imminent threat removed, the masked woman sheathed her sword, before walking past Yang without a glance.

"Wait…" Yang shakily sat up. "I said… wait…"

Her strength gave out, and Yang collapsed on her back again, her vision dimming. The last thing she saw was the woman fading in a swirling cloud of shadows.

* * *

Jaune and Ruby made their way towards the next set of carriage with heavy hearts, embroiled in inner struggles. Every step taken forward was a testament to the strength of their wills, for the task ahead of them demanded greater urgency.

"We're almost there, Ruby," Jaune said. "It's up to you and me, now."

Ruby nodded, and together entered the next train car.

"Shit…" Jaune cursed, and for a good reason. A lone Faunus sat on one of cargos stacked on either sides of the train coach, garbed in characteristic White Fang combat gear, complete with a full-face mask. Upon sensing intrusion the masked Faunus drew to his full height, a fearsome chainsaw in his hands.

"How'd you get in here, eh?" Brylls growled. "Not that it matters – you're not getting through."

Ruby unfurled her Crescent Rose, just as Jaune tightened his grip on Crocea Mors. "Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you use your Semblance and run past him?" As Ruby was about to protest, Jaune held up his hand. "Let me finish! What I meant was for you to get behind him and hit him from behind, while I keep him occupied on front. That way, we can take him out quickly. I hope."

"I'll try," Ruby said, and ran forward. Much to her horror, the usual blur of the surrounding and the feeling of air whipping past was gone, and she ended up practically running head-first into the burly Faunus' chainsaw, bereft of her Semblance's boon.

"Ruby!" Catching herself just in time Ruby skidded to a halt, and fired her Crescent Rose to propel her back to safety.

"Christ Ruby! What the hell was that?! You alright?!"

"I-I don't know!" Ruby wailed. "I don't understand, my Semblance – it's not working!"

"What do you mean, it's 'not working'?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know!" Ruby repeated, distressed. Then it hit her; back in the cavern, when they attempted to escape with Oliver, she tried to use her Semblance only for it to fail to activate. It failed yet again, and there was no discernible cause as far as she could think of.

There was no time to muse on the issue, however, as Brylls the Bear took the initiative and lunged, swinging his chainsaw in a lethal arc. Ruby tried to bring her Crescent Rose up to parry, only to shriek when the chainsaw's rotating teeth left gashes on her hybrid scythe.

Grinning, Brylls took another swipe with his chainsaw. This time Ruby dodge-rolled out of the way, unfortunately crashing into one of the boxes.

Jaune swore. The clutter strewn about the train car greatly hampered their range of movement. Ruby's inability to utilise her speed Semblance only further fuelled the fire of their current predicament. His earlier plan of fighting the Faunus two-on-one was dashed out the window, leaving only one other option left, one that he dreaded addressing, however necessary it was.

Brylls advanced on the caped girl, only to be tackled aside. "Jaune!"

"Ruby! I'll hold him off, you go on ahead!" Jaune yelled, grunting when the hulking Faunus gripped him tightly by the shoulders.

"But- No! Not again!" Ruby shook her head furiously. "I'm not leaving you behind too!"

"Goddamnit Ruby! We don't have a choice!" Jaune managed out as he grapped against the bear Faunus. "We have to stop this train! You know what'll happen if we don't! Oobleck, Ren, Yang – everything they did would've been for nothing!"

"Crap! Crap! Crap!" Ruby howled, squeezing her eyes shut. As much as she wanted to stay, Jaune was right. The train was drawing ever closer to the city of Midgard, and if they didn't stop it, many lives were at risk. She knew this, she did, but…

Blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, she ran past them towards the door to the train's control unit. "Jaune, I'm sorry!"

Jaune heard the door hiss shut behind him, and allowed himself a small smile. Now it was up to Ruby to save the day.

Brylls growled, and grabbing Jaune's arm slammed him against the crates. His Aura softly glowed as it absorbed most of the impact, though doing little for the pain that shot up his back.

"Aura? You're one of those Hunters, then?" The bear Faunus snarled. "No, a weakling like you, there's no way. So that'd make you one of those brats up in them fancy Academies."

"Yeah, so what?" Jaune stood back up on his feet and dusted himself off. "What's it to you if I was?"

"It just means this will be an easy fight," Brylls barked in harsh laughter, revving his chainsaw again. "Like shooting goddamn humans in a barrel."

Jaune raised his blade en garde. The bear Faunus swung his chainsaw, and Jaune angled his sword so that the chainsaw slid across his blade. He saw what the monstrous industrial tool did with Ruby's Crescent Rose; he wanted to avoid the same happening to his Crocea Mors, even with its otherworldly durability. He wasn't keen on testing its tenacity either. That meant no head-on contact, though that was easier said than done.

Brylls charged with an upward slash, its long range forcing Jaune to step back to avoid being cut in half. He knew he was risking a lot by giving his ground, as it meant cornering himself with minimal room for movement. And his opponent was not only physically bigger and stronger, his weapon was also had longer reach. If he was boxed in to a corner, he was as good as dead.

Jaune readied his blade and followed the Faunus' movement closely, waiting for an opportunity to strike. It wasn't difficult to find one; while more physically imposing, it was clear that his Faunus adversary was not trained in any formalised combat styles, judging by his wild swings that lacked control and finesse. That didn't trivialise the threat his opponent proposed, but it did make it easier for him to at least strategize on how to fight.

The only thing that held him back was really the fear and uncertainty. This wasn't a sparring match held in controlled environments in Beacon Academy, this was a real-life combat situation, where even a smallest of mistakes demanded a heavy cost.

Steeling his resolve, Jaune pushed himself forward, capitalising on a brief window of vulnerability between the Faunus' wild swings, and managed to score a cut on his arm. Granted, it was a superficial injury, drawing only a thin line of blood, but it was a progress.

"Son of a-" Brylls re-adjusted his grip on his chainsaw. Enraged at the sight of his own blood, the bear Faunus charged towards Jaune with reckless abandon. Jaune held up his sword in an attempt to halt the charging beast, though Brylls was not deterred. Like a battering ram Brylls sent Jaune slamming into the train car wall, the force momentarily incapacitating the male Arc. Brylls was not yet done, however, as he proceeded to grab his face and threw him to the other end of the coach.

Jaune groaned in agony, the brutal beatdown rapidly wearing down his Aura reserves. Crocea Mors fell out of his grip during the collision, lying on the ground several feet away from him. He made for his blade, only to halt when Brylls charged again, blocking him from retrieving his sword, leaving him completely defenceless. On his either sides the crates stood uncaringly, boxing him in. His sword was out of his reach, his shield long lost back in the tunnels. He had no armour to protect him, and his Aura – it wasn't enough to stop him from being sawed in half.

Already the bear Faunus was upon him, chainsaw descending, eager to spill blood and flesh.

Out of desperation, Jaune locked his arms and held them up on guard, bracing for the inevitable. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see how he would meet his end.

Through the slits of his sealed eyelids he saw his arms glow, solidifying and radiating shockwaves of shimmering light when it crashed against the rotating butchery tool. Jaune was just as shocked as his opponent at the unexpected turn of events, though wasted little time in utilising his newfound power and _unleashed it_ against the bear Faunus.

The car was flooded with an explosion of light, consuming everything within in its brilliant radiance. Amidst the chaos Jaune heard Brylls scream, intermingled with the sound of metal meeting flesh.

The flood of light subsided, and everything returned to normal, sans the White Fang insurgent who clutched his face, blood slipping through the gap between fingers.

"Fucking… human… trash!" Brylls threw his hand off and bellowed. A long, jagged line ran across his face above the nose, leaving shredded mess of blood and skin where his eyes were supposed to be. His mask lay broken on the floor, the sawed-off edges stained with blood.

"Holy shit! I… I didn't…" Jaune stammered, strange sense of guilt tugging at his heart.

Brylls roared and blindly swung his chainsaw. "I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Jaune yelled in panic ducking under a slash that came too close for comfort, and ran past the blinded Faunus to put some distance between them. "Please, just stop already!"

The bear Faunus paused, lips curled back in a snarl. "Stop? STOP?! After everything you humans took from me, you ask me to stop?!"

"Look, you're badly hurt! There's no point in fighting anymore!" Jaune tried to calm the Faunus, futile as it was. The blinded Faunus rampaged, consumed by rage and madness.

"'No point in fighting?'" Brylls laughed harshly, warped and crazed. "We will never stop fighting until every last one of you human scums are dead!"

"Goddamnit! I said STOP!" Jaune yelled. The Faunus roared back in response and slashed his chainsaw, hitting empty air. Jaune darted forward, Crocea Mors back in his grasp. A flash of blade later, Brylls fell to one knee, blood seeping out of a deep cut on his leg.

Much to Jaune's horror, his half-mad adversary stood back up, covered in his own blood. "You greedy fucks. First you take my home, then my family, and if that wasn't enough now you want my blood too?" Brylls laughed again. "Then take it! But I'll kill you first!"

"Stop! STOP!" Jaune cried, half-pleading. "DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!"

Brylls raised his chainsaw, as Jaune did with Crocea Mors. Their battle cries fused as they rushed one another, both with intents to kill, one with vengeful intent tainted with madness, the other with great reluctance.

The fight was already decided; Brylls collapsed, in a broken heap of muscle and blood. Jaune panted, his once pristine blade painted with blood. The blade slipped through his fingers and clattered on the floor, though Jaune barely registered it.

* * *

Roman Torchwick leaned back against the chair, toying with a lit cigar between his fingers. The rush of nicotine and other hundreds of carcinogens was like a calming remedy and did wonders in helping him cope with stressful situations. It was one of few things that helped him from life's cruel jokes, keeping his questionable extent of sanity from derailing too much. And speaking of derailing…

"Sir?" The only other occupant of the train's control unit, a young female Faunus, spoke.

Roman sighed. "What?"

"It's just that… shouldn't we be stopping around now? I mean, shouldn't we be getting close to our evac points?"

"Evac points?" Roman furrowed his brow in concentration, before realisation hit him. "Oh, those. Yeah, about that, afraid I've got some bad news for you, hun. Those evac points I talked about? It was all bullshit. I made them up."

The female Faunus turned to Roman, horrified. "…What…?"

"Yeah, my bad. But come on, look at it from my perspective; would you lot have signed up if I let slip that this was pretty much tantamount to a suicide mission? I mean, if you animals were any dumber then yeah, probably, but-"

"You lied to us?" The young White Fang soldier whispered in disbelief.

"I didn't _lie_ ," Roman defended. "I just, for a lack of better term, selectively _omitted_ some details, that's all. I mean, I was going to pay you lot, I was! You'd all be dead by then, sure, but still."

"You- You-! Traitor!" The White Fang soldier reached for her gun, though Roman was faster. Whipping out his Melodious Cudgel he fired, and the Faunus dropped on her knees, clutching her mangled hand.

"Relax, will ya?" Roman rolled his eyes. "Besides, it's not so bad – you dumb animals always go on and on about humans mistreating you here and bullying you around there, but now, thanks to me, you all finally had the opportunity to do something _big_. This operation is going to make those humans bleed, which is what you all wanted, wasn't it?"

"I h-hope you burn in h-hell!" The young Faunus sobbed. "Human s-scum!"

"It certainly felt like living in one, what with having to work with you animals in so close proximity," Roman shrugged. "But any good criminal worth their salt would've got an exit strategy planned, and let me tell you, I'm not just a good criminal, I'm a _great_ criminal."

Roman snapped his fingers. "Neo!"

The air shimmered in unnatural contortion, and out of thin air the diminutive girl appeared. Roman gave his accomplice a quick look-over, taking note of her slightly dishevelled state. "Been roughhousing with our 'guests'?"

Neo responded by flipping a daintily bird, earning a chuckle from the criminal. "Not that it matters – Midgard's just ahead. About time we hightail it outta here, what do you say?"

Before she could respond, they were interrupted by beeping door panels on the other side. Someone was trying to gain access without a passcode clearance, though there was no need for it – a single gunshot was heard, and the door yielded, sliding open.

Roman pinched the bridge of his nose. "For fuck's sake."

"Roman Torchwick!" Ruby stood, Crescent Rose aimed in his direction. Her eyes darted between the three occupants within, recognising the short girl with the parasol from earlier.

"You're… But… what about Yang?"

The girl simply winked, and Ruby's knees buckled, threatening to yield. "No…!"

"Little Red, Little Red. Don't you ever get tired of playing the hero?" Roman's voice boomed, and Ruby turned her gaze to the criminal, eyes red with angry tears.

"You…" Ruby whispered vehemently, channelling all her fear and anger to harden her resolve. "Stop the train."

The criminal sighed, undaunted even when Ruby pointed her gun at him. "I'd rather not."

"Stop. The. Train. NOW!" Taking aim she pulled the trigger, the bullet speeding past the criminal's head.

Surprised at the redhead's display of defiance, Roman spat out his cigar. "You missed, Red."

"Yeah, on purpose." Ruby frowned. "Stop the train, or I'll really shoot you. I mean it!"

Neo stepped forward, drawing her estoc challengingly. Ruby gladly returned the gesture, the dark rage within her crying for revenge. Roman chose that moment to intervene, however.

"No need, I'll handle this myself. Just be ready to get us out at a moment's notice."

Neo narrowed her eyes, but relented with a nod. Roman twirled his cane and cracked his neck, meeting Ruby's furious eyes with his own. "Gotta say, that look suits you better, Red. But I think seeing you dead at my feet would be much better, don't you think?"

He then did something she did not expect; Roman grabbed the third occupant, an injured young Faunus by the scruff of her neck and raised her as an impromptu shield. "Go on, Red – shoot, I dare you."

"No, don't shoot!" The young Faunus pleaded.

"Roman Torchwick, you…" Ruby stared in disbelief, scowling at the criminal. "Coward!"

"Like you're one to talk. You come charging in here with all that bravado shit, but when the going gets tough, you just crack," Roman snorted. "Like I told you before, pathetic."

Her nostril flared, and for an instance everything turned hazy and red. Before she knew it, she felt _something_ coursing through her, consuming and devouring her from within. An excruciating, searing pain lanced through her entire being, so much so that her screams died inside her throat.

Then her eyes regained its clarity, time resuming its march and returning her back to the present moment, though it was no longer the same as she left it. Blinking, she saw Roman stagger back in pain, dropping the young Faunus on the ground in a pool of her blood.

Blinking, Ruby saw thin trails of smoke rising from Crescent Rose's barrel, ejecting a single, spent shell casing clattering on the ground.

"What…? What'd I just…?"

Roman grunted, rubbing his side where the bullet clipped him after piercing through the Faunus. "Well shit, ain't that a surprise. Didn't think you had it in you, Red."

"No, that wasn't me! It wasn't!" Ruby protested, though it fell on deaf ears, her own included. Try as she might, there was no denying that it was her own finger that pulled the trigger.

The criminal didn't give her time to dwell on the matter, raising his weapon and dishing out his own firepower. Ruby forced herself to move, engaging him in a duel.

* * *

The train car opened, and in limped one Lie Ren. His eyes fell on the unconscious form of Yang Xiao Long sprawled on the floor, her body bearing signs of an aftermath of a brutal fight.

Ren sat down next to her body, and closed his eyes in concentration, willing his Aura to flow to his hands. Soft, green light enveloped the Eastern Mistralian's hand, and he placed them above Yang's chest. It was a nifty skill he came to acquire during his days spent working in the infirmary, courtesy of one Velvet Scarlatina. The idea was to gather one's Aura and channel them to his hands, which acted as conduits to transfer Aura from point A to point B, or, in this case, Ren and Yang respectively. The transference then forced the recipient's body to kickstart its own Aura stores, much like jump-starting a car battery.

As expected, Yang's eyes snapped open and her back arched, a gurgling sound escaping from her mouth. After a few moments her body relaxed, now wide awake.

"Fuck…" Yang breathed out. "I'll never get used to that."

"Try not to lose next time, then," Ren huffed, rolling his eyes. "This isn't any easier for me, you know."

"Is that what you normally tell girls before you grab their tits?" Yang jabbed. "Perv."

"Is that how you normally thank those who saved you?" Ren riposted, though his reluctance to speak words of the more profane variety prevented him from ending his verbal jousting with a barbed finisher. "You're welcome, by the way."

"You know, you should really try swearing every once in a while," Yang said with an eye-roll.

"It's uncouth."

"It's called being a pussy."

Ren sighed. "Nice to see you alive, too."

Yang grinned. "Loosen up, you know I'm just fucking around with you."

A tremor rippled through the train car, jostling them out of their conversation and reminding them of their predicaments. "Shit, the train's still moving? How long have I been knocked out?"

Ren shook his head. "Jaune, Ruby – they must be up ahead." He stood up and helped Yang on her feet. "Can you walk?"

Yang winced, her body still aching terribly from the fight. She gritted her teeth and endured it, as she had little choice to do otherwise. "Yeah, kind of. Thanks."

Ren nodded, and together they pressed onward. They found Jaune a few cars up ahead, arms wrapped around his knees and head buried in-between. At the sound of door opening he looked up, tears running down his cheeks. A few feet away from him was a body of a White Fang insurgent, face down in a pool of blood.

"I-" Jaune stammered, before he broke down. "I asked him to stop, I did! I didn't want to kill him, it wasn't my fault!"

"Jaune…"

"I had to, I had no choice! He was going to kill me, what was I supposed to do?!"

Taking a deep breath, Yang hobbled over to Jaune, carefully skirting around the dead body. Given her brutally candid disposition, Ren followed after her, ready to exercise some damage control. Her usual 'tough love' approach may have had its time and place, though now wasn't the time nor the place.

"Jaune." Jaune looked up to see Yang hovering over him, her hand outstretched. Slowly Jaune took it, and allowed the blonde to help him back on his feet.

"Yang, I…"

"I know. I know." Yang silenced him with a hug, much to their surprise. "You did what you had to."

Jaune sniffed, and furiously wiped his eyes. They broke off, and Jaune managed to hold himself together, though he kept his eyes cast down. "Ruby's just up ahead."

Yang lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Then let's not waste time, alright? Get your act together, Jaune, this ain't over yet."

"Yeah," Jaune concurred. "We came this far – let's just finish the damn thing."

Ren retrieved Crocea Mors from the ground, and held it out for Jaune. "Here."

"Thanks, Ren," Jaune said with a small sigh of relief. It was heartening to see that his friends still treated him as they always did.

Ren did one better by clamping his hand on Jaune's shoulder in a reassuring manner. "You're still one of us, Jaune – remember that."

"I… Thanks," said Jaune, relieved.

Ren smiled back. "Any time."

The three Regalities made a beeline for the control unit, locked in a desperate race against time. They finally reached their destination, arriving just in time to see Ruby sailing through the air and crashing into a wall. The young leader of team RALY bounced off and fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Ruby!" Yang cried out and hurried to her sister, gasping when she saw the toll the fight took on the caped girl. Her dress and cape bore numerous scorch marks and tears, her skin adorned with burns and cuts.

Ruby's eyes fluttered open, her lips curling upward when she saw her sister. "H-heya, sis, what took you so long?" Her eyes slid past her sister's, and found both Jaune and Ren, much to her relief.

"Aww, how sweet," Roman jeered, twirling his cane. Neo sat on the train console, watching them with mild interest. "Hate to break up your little re-union, but Little Red and I was still in the middle of something, so step aside if you will."

"Like hell!" Yang stood protectively over Ruby, Ember Celica loaded with shotgun shells. Jaune and Ren mirrored her gesture and brought their respective weapons to bear, ready to fight. Their acts of resistance only elicited another sigh from the criminal.

"Fucking kids," Roman spat. "You dumb little shits still don't get it, do you? Even if you did somehow stop the train, it's a dead end for you all, a literal _dead_ end!"

Jaune closed his eyes. "Yeah, we know." The tunnel gate, unyielding and indifferent, on one end, and the other, a tidal wave of ravenous hunger in the form of claws, fangs, and destructive instincts. Even if they succeeded, there was no way out for any of them – the train itself was a death trap. He knew of this, and so too, did Ruby, Yang, and Ren.

Roman gawked in undisguised disbelief and animosity. "Are-are you fucking kidding me?! You _knew_?! You motherfucking _knew_ you were all going to die and _still_ tried to stop me? _Why_?!"

Ruby stared, perplexed as to Roman's strange outburst. Gone was his arrogance and contemptuous smirk, and in its place was unbridled anger, stoked by something that they could not understand.

Neo lightly cleared her throat, drawing Roman's attention. Wordlessly she pointed at the windscreen, at something in the distance, growing steadily larger as they drew closer and closer. It was the gate, the only line of defence the city of Midgard had against the darkness that festered beneath the earth.

Growling, Roman raised his cane loaded another shot, this time aiming at the train's navigation console.

"No!" Jaune shouted, though he was too late. The resulting point-blank shot completely tore the panel, rendering it inoperable.

There was no brake left, nothing left to stop the train.

"There! All your bloody 'heroics', it has been all for nothing! Now you can't stop this train, _I_ can't stop this train!" Roman half-shouted, half-laughed. "You can all crash and burn together!"

"TORCHWICK!" Ruby cried. The four Regalities could do nothing as the two criminals vanished, leaving behind ghostly echoes of their mocking laughter. All the while the train drew closer to the gate.

"Well, guess that's how it ends for us, then," Yang said with a sad smile. "Not with a whimper, but with a Yang."

In spite of the situation, the rest of team RALY couldn't suppress their groans. "Really, Yang?"

"Gotta make it count till the end, right?" Yang said, her lips quivering. "Hell, it's been a blast, hanging out with you guys."

"We did our best. That's got to count for something, at least," Ren quietly said.

"I just… I just wish we could've done more, done better," Ruby whispered in regret.

"Us too, Ruby, us too," Jaune chuckled. "See you guys on the other side."

They said nothing even as they gathered close, holding each other. No further words were needed, for they all knew. Unbeknownst to them, Jaune's body started to glow, his friends' doing the same seconds later. Each radiated different shades of light – fiery gold, glimmering emerald, swirling crimson, and incandescent white – and together, they melded and fused, weaved into a tapestry of dancing aurora by forces unseen, before erupting in a nova of light, moments before the train and the gate exploded.

* * *

"Status report."

The transceiver crackled. _"Squad One in position."_

" _Squad Two reporting, this station's secure."_

" _Station Three's cleared out. Awaiting further orders."_

The comm-link buzzed in static, gunshots ringing in the background. The radio fell silent, until it crackled again. _"Squad Four in place, hostiles neutralised."_

"Good. Stay in position and await for further orders. Hazel out."

Terminating the comm-link, Hazel headed for his destination, a nondescript block of concrete that guised itself as an old, abandoned building under the government's ownership, the doors barred and windows boarded to ward off the curious and the adventurous. On an outwardly appearance, there was no direct way in, and that bothered Hazel none, for what he was after was not the building itself per se, but rather, the secrets it guarded beneath it.

He paused, discreetly surveying his surrounding to ensure he wasn't followed, then slipped into the alleyway next to the old building, empty save for a single manhole on the ground. Removing the grate, Hazel lowered himself and climbed down, unbothered by the rancid stench of the sewer network.

"Sir." He was greeted by a White Fang infiltration specialist, the rest of the unit snapping into position.

"Which way?" Hazel asked.

"Straight ahead, there's a lift, only used by the humans in case of emergency," the Infiltrator said. "Regardless, it'll still lead us to the main hub, where they house the auxiliary power station."

Hazel jerked his head. "Very well, with me."

"Sir." Hazel and the White Fang's Fifth Infiltrator units boarded the elevator. As it descended, Hazel prepared for combat. "Lieutenant."

"Sir?"

"What of their security system?"

"Hacked into their networks, sir. Disabled the communication lines and jammed their security alarms. Whatever happens down here, no one above the surface will be any wiser."

Hazel smirked. "Good. Keep the place on lockdown, nobody gets out alive."

The elevator stopped, and opened with a cheery ding. Two men in security uniforms looked up from their newspapers, startled to see an intruder. "What the fu-"

Hazel snapped into action, his arm punching through the first guard's torso. The second guard reached for his gun, though had no time to aim and fire as Hazel rounded on him with a spin kick to the head, the force of the kick breaking the guard's neck.

Behind him the White Fang Infiltrators fell into position, activating their cloaking devices.

Hazel gave the order. "Kill."

There was a rush of quiet padding as the cloaked Faunus insurgents stormed the place, eliminating all personnel within indiscriminately, like hounds set loose upon their hunting grounds. The underground complex was soon beset with screams of the dying quail, any form of resistance rendered obsolete against the assassins they could not see.

Hazel let the Infiltrators to do their work, while he tended to his. His task led him to the auxiliary power generator, a beast of a machine wearing shells of metal and cables, thrumming with energy, fuelled with both electricity and specialised Dust. If Watts was correct, this machine had enough power to temporarily maintain Midgard's shield in case of an unprecedented emergency. As such, if their plan was to succeed, this machine had to go.

Hazel began setting up the explosives, packed with enough firepower to blow a great crater in its radius. With his work done, he vacated the area, making his way back to the elevator.

The Fifth Infiltrator unit was already there, all of them accounted for. The lift carried them back up, and when they reached the surface they disappeared like ghosts, not one soul aware of the silent massacre that took place in less than an hour.

The transceiver remained silent until Hazel was aboard a private airship, hovering over the grand, peaceful city of Midgard.

" _All units accounted for, sir. Your orders?"_

Hazel took one last look at the city, at its citizens.

"Blow the charges."

* * *

 **A/N: As I mentioned in the last chapter, this is the second half of the original chapter 20, albeit with slightly less word count.**

 **This chapter was, well, a little difficult for me to write, if I have to be honest. Being forced into a situation where the only outcome is to either kill or be killed, experiencing the crushing guilt that they'd most likely never forget, and testing them so as to see whether they would endure it and keep on moving forward, or give up and expire. This was a chapter where they walk away, less innocent than who they were at the beginning of the story. I wanted to emphasise that point and convey it in the actions of the characters as they dealt with their own demons. I hope I did this chapter justice.**

 **On a more humorous note, while I was flicking through the 'No Brakes' episode, when team RWBY and the WF goons are duking it out on top of a moving train (imagine that...), Blake actually knocks one of them off the train (remember the guy with the Wilhelm Scream?), though then again, the entire train kinda blows up, so presumably most, if not all, of the WF grunts died at the end. I didn't notice it at first, considering how up to that point the first two seasons were very light-hearted, with some awkward moments sprinkled here and there. Bit of a fridge horror moment, admittedly.**

 **I'll be wrapping up Act 2 in the next chapter or two, then move on to Act 3, or depending on how the story decides to unfold itself.**


	22. Act 2: Chapter 13

**ACT 2: Siege of Midgard - Part 1**

* * *

The Empyrium Shield – one of Atlas' perhaps most distinguished creation of all, a steadfast bulwark that shields the havens of humanity from the encroaching tides of accursed monstrosities. This author shan't delve too deeply into its technical and scientific specifics, for such are beyond this author's humble and lacklustre background in such prodigious professions, though it is regardless noteworthy to mention that this technological marvel not only confers protection in tangible, corporeal sense, but also prevents the profound emanations of collective neural imprints of humanity. In other words, it renders those within the confines of its sanctuary invisible to the watchful eyes of the Grimm that prowls in the wastelands beyond. As such, it would not be incorrect to state that this technology plays a pivotal role in both construction and preservation of society, for without it the foundation of civilisation would collapse under the Grimm's relentless assault.

* * *

And now, that protection was gone.

The day started like any other, the denizens of Midgard rousing in tandem with the sun, and falling into the comfortable rhythm of their daily lives.

Such deceptively mundane backdrop came to an abrupt, ear-splitting end, when the sky above them shattered into ethereal shards, fading to nothing. Nonplussed, the citizens froze where they stood, unable to grasp the situation.

"…What just happened?" Nora uttered the question that plagued everyone's thoughts.

"That was the shield… right?" Weiss' reply was a dubious one, for despite what she clearly bore witness to with her own two eyes, the part of the grey matter that dealt with the nuances of logic fumbled about in the dark, unable to comprehend the sight that unfolded overhead.

Hushed whispers and murmurs floated about in their vicinity, the general air of bemusement lending itself to roiling perturbation. While technical malfunctions weren't beyond the realm of possibility, such wide-scale failures happened only once in a blue moon. Some, in fact, had not once entertained the idea of the Empyrium Shields' potential fallibility.

It was not, however, difficult to extrapolate on its terrible implications. All at once the sirens blared to life, its cacophony acting as the tipping point for the plague of panic to spread like wildfire.

And like the other half of a matching duet, the Grimm howled and screeched, the echoes carried in the wind.

"Ohhhh… crap," Nora drawled. All eyes turned to the rampart, where the city's defenders scurried back and forth with urgency.

"They'll need help," Blake observed. The various men and women that comprised the garrison atop the walls lacked the experience of fending off Grimm incursions, lulled into complacency under the Empyrium Shield's presumed omnipotence. With said protection gone, panic, and fear of mortality was sure to whittle down their morale.

Weiss wasted little time in activating her Glyphs. "With me!" Series of Glyph circles warped to existence in mid-air, forming a makeshift stairwell leading to the nearest chemin de ronde. Weiss took the lead, with the rest of Winterbournes following close behind.

Their unconventional entry has not gone unnoticed. A man in combat fatigue beckoned them over. "You there! Are you Huntresses by any chance?" The man asked.

Weiss shook her head. "Of a kind, you could say – we're students of Beacon Academy."

The man's eyes slid overhead and landed on the rest of team WNBN, creasing slightly with faint flicker of recognition as it reached Pyrrha. "Suppose that's better than nothing. I'll take what I can get."

Weiss frowned but opted not to retort to the man's casual dismissal, having noticed the two stars emblazoned on his shirt, denoting his rank as a captain or of equal office. "So what's the status?"

"Take a look for yourself." The captain gestured over his shoulder at the sprawling woodlands beyond the city. Amidst its sylvan folds they could see uncountable specks of glinting blood-red orbs, burning with abhorrent, ravenous intent.

"So many of them…" Pyrrha murmured. "Are the gates secure?"

"For the time being, yes," the captain replied, a tad annoyed. "Look, you're not affiliated with the city guards, so I can't just order you around. But if you could stick around and lend a hand, that'd be swell. This area will be hit the hardest, so we'll need considerably more manpower to hold the fort."

Weiss nodded. "Blake, contact professor Port, inform him of our situation here."

"On it." Blake reached for her scroll.

Weiss directed her line of sight around the wall, taking in its features. The southern wall, though only encompassing a quadrant of the city, still boasted of considerable length, with defence towers erected at intervals. Missile and autocannon turrets were being powered up, some manned by personnel, others by targeting AI. The walls themselves were thick, tall and sturdy, the gate heavily fortified and locked down.

All in all, the city's defensive lines were formidable. But even its stalwart resistance could not fully dissuade the chilling tendrils of disquietude that crept ever so closer.

"Professor Port knows where we are," Blake reported. "And he's aware of the situation. He's assisting with the defences on the western sector, though."

"So, we're on our own." Weiss unhooked her Myrtenaster from her holster, the revolving chamber displaying its full Dust vials. Her Winterbournes drew their weapons as well, doing quick inventory checks.

An unearthly howl heralded a dissonance of snarls and growls, both beastly and eldritch in nature. Like living shadows the creatures of the Nether stampeded towards the now-rendered pregnable city, frenzied with unquenchable hunger.

One of the defenders, a young man not much older than their peers, whimpered as he backpedalled in fear. "Holy crap, how can we even..."

"Get in line, soldier! You will not abandon your post!" The captain barked. Donning on a hard visage of a leader, the captain turned to face the men and women under his command. "Listen up! No matter how many of those fuckers are out there, we stand our ground! You're all defenders of Midgard's wall, and you will hold the line!"

"SIR!" The soldiers snapped into salutes, arms ready. Under normal circumstances, Weiss would've been impressed at the display of military discipline, were it not for the tide of Grimm drawing ever so closer to the firing range.

"Fire!" The captain yelled.

The autocannons unleashed their payload, tearing through every Grimm caught in their range of fire. Tipped with hardened tungsten encasing depleted uranium core, these 30mm rounds could pierce through even the heavily armoured species of Grimm. Superadded with magnetic rails and sophisticated targeting systems, these guns left vast swathes of ground covered with shredded remnants of Grimm, and keeping the rest at bay.

Hundreds of muzzles flashed atop the walls like light bulbs, the air thick with the acrid stench of rapidly decaying Grimm corpses and gunpowder. The advancing wave of Grimm lacked the means of ranged counterattack, and it wasn't long before the Winterbournes joined in the turkey shoot. For a moment, they dared to hope that repelling this invasion was only a matter of time, a hold-out on a grand scale.

Then beastly trumpets boomed in the distance, and like nightmares the Goliaths slowly and forebodingly lumbered into view, the very earth trembling beneath their feet, oblivious to the lesser Grimm trampled to death in their single-minded path towards the city.

"Oh fuck... Goliaths incoming!"

"Redirect the turrets! Aim for the Goliaths! Do NOT let them near the wall!" The captain yelled into his mouthpiece. Seconds later, the guns swivelled towards the herd of elephantine Grimm and resumed their barrage.

The walls' autocannons, while effective against smaller, lesser species of Grimm, were not designed to take down colossal-sized Grimm with near-impenetrable armour. Even with concentrated fire the Goliaths were undeterred in their march.

"Holy mother of- how the hell do you kill those things?!" One of the soldiers yelled in dismay, before something long and gray wrapped around his head, muffling his screams as he was dragged over the wall.

"Oh my god!" Nora turned just in time to see a big bat-like Grimm pull itself up the wall, its numerous, sickly opaque eyes trained on the apprentice Huntress. It shrieked, lashing its tail as it flapped its thin, venous wings, before diving towards the hammer wielder.

Tightening her grip on her Magnhild, Nora waited until the Gargoyle drew closer, and swung her hammer with all her might. Further fuelled with timed expulsion of her grenades, the resulting strike blew the Grimm's head off, its twitching corpse landing awkwardly nearby, narrowly missing another gunner.

Pyrrha moved to check up on her teammate, when more Grimm began to scale up the wall, their paths no longer hindered now that the turrets were focused only on the Goliaths. Shifting her Miló to its rifle form, she crouched and took her aim, the shot speeding towards a bipedal rat Grimm with misshapen eyes and bony claw-like appendages. Another shot, this time between its eyes, saw to its demise, the body tumbling out of view over the wall.

A shrill cry drew Weiss towards what she surmised was a big lizard, albeit with disproportionately oversized upper jaw with protruding fangs at odd angles. An unfortunate soldier was caught in said jaw, struggling desperately to free herself. Weiss rushed to the soldier's aid, her Myrtenaster in hand.

"Help m-" Down came the reptilian Grimm's maw with a meaty crunch, and Weiss stood rooted on the spot, her eyes locked on the gruesome sight of limbs and sprays of blood. Languidly chewing its meal, the Yakith Lizard's red beady eyes then turned upon the heiress.

Recovering from the shock, Weiss flourished her rapier and channelled her Aura, creating a small barrier Glyph that impeded the charging lizard. Taking advantage of the moment Weiss activated another Glyph, incorporated with her ice elemental Dust. Shaped by forces unseen moisture and ice coalesced into javelins of ice, before Weiss sent them hurtling towards her target. The reptilian Grimm thrashed and screeched as sharp spikes of ice pierced through its leathery hide, forcing nearby soldiers to step back. The Schnee heiress promptly silenced it permanently as she somersaulted above its head and drove her rapier into its skull.

Blake was aiding the defenders with ranged support when she too, was intercepted. The Grimm that caught her eyes was, out of all the Grimm she has faced before, by far one of the more anomalous kind. Its contours resembled that of a typical Nevermore, albeit smaller in comparison. The similarities ended there, for in contrast to its conventional avian counterparts, this unknown Grimm bore three legs instead of two, and its head was eerily reminiscent of a human's, with protruding beaks replacing the lips.

The Grimm cawed and glided down, before quickly taking to the air with squirming guards caught in its three legs. Two of the soldiers the Grimm dropped from the apex of its flight, their screams trailing after them as gravity claimed them. The third met an end just as cruel, the Grimm pecking his chest open and extracted his heart, before swallowing it whole.

Blake folded her Gambol Shroud to its handgun form, before unloading her clips on the feasting Grimm. Shrieking in ire, the aberrant avian Grimm tossed the carcass and headed for the feline Faunus. Blake stood ready, and just as the Grimm neared she snaked around it and deftly hopped on its back, Gambol Shroud in hand. A quick, precise jab to the back of its neck saw to its death, plummeting freely towards the earth. Blake, proving her Faunus heritage, jumped and landed gracefully on the edge of the battlements.

"Shit! That was sick!" One of the soldiers cheered, cut short when a volley of feathers rained down from the sky, skewering the soldier and others in the vicinity. Blake narrowly avoided meeting the same fate, though one of the feathers still managed to graze her side.

"Heads up! We've got flyers, twelve o' clock!"

"Power up the GTA batteries! Shoot 'em down!" The captain ordered. The Ground-To-Air weapon systems zoomed in on the flock of fast-approaching Nevermores, discharging the homing Punisher torpedoes. The younger, smaller of the flock yielded to the explosive armaments, though the same could not be said for the elder, ancient variants. They circled around the wall, firing volleys of feathers on the defenders below. At the same time, the Goliaths drew closer to the walls, while more and more Grimm began to scale up the wall, a few managing to breach past the defences and heading for the city below.

Meanwhile, all around them the wall's garrison was weakening. Weiss had to order her team to split up to cover what ground they could, killing one Grimm after another, all the while stepping over the bodies and blood, ears deafened with cries of war and death.

The heiress ducked under the lunging claws of a Beowolf, skilfully riposting with a well-aimed thrust through its neck. Just as she yanked her Myrtenaster free from the recently disposed lupine Grimm she saw its Alpha variant towering over her, steam billowing from its maw. It gave her no time to form a defensive stance as it grabbed the heiress and pinned her to the ground, jaws closing on her neck just as her Aura shattered.

Weiss' piercing cries of agony alerted the Winterbournes of their leader's predicament. "Weiss!"

Pyrrha was the first to act, her aim true as she hurled her javelin, burrowing into the Alpha Beowolf's back through the gaps in its armour. It howled in pain, released its hold on the heiress before directing its rage against the humans who interrupted it as it fed.

Blake ran full pelt straight towards the Alpha, and just as it attempted to rake her in half, she made a sharp manoeuvre and slid under between its legs, slicing its tendons open on the way out, causing the Alpha to drop to its knee.

The resident hammer-wielder of team WNBN delivered the finale, a powerful, singular strike to its head. Blake managed to drag Weiss out of the range just as the Alpha Beowolf exploded into shower of corrupted flesh and blood.

"Weiss! You alright?" Pyrrha asked.

Weiss could only cough as the rest of the Winterbournes gathered around their leader, checking her for injuries.

"Leader, you're bleedin' all over the place!"

"Oh my god…" Pyrrha gasped as Blake carefully incised the portion of the dress around the injury site to gauge its severity. Deep gorge marks ran from her lower neck to her upper shoulder blade, blood seeping out of the gash profusely.

"We need to get her out of here," Blake declared with a minute shake of her head. She took off her black vest and cut out a strip of cloth, which she then proceeded to use as a compress against the injury. Once it was fixed in place, she slipped her arms beneath Weiss and carried her up.

"I… I'm f-fine!" Weiss repeated. Her protest fell on deaf ears, however.

Pyrrha nodded. "Alright. We'll-"

"Get down!" Nora yelled as she lifted her Magnhild, taking a second to aim before unloading grenade rounds on a Gryphon as it neared the wall. Said hybrid Grimm squawked as it plummeted down to its death, swallowed whole by a moving sea of ravenous Grimm as they clawed and scrabbled their way up.

"Change of plans! Blakey, get our leader outta here, pronto!" Nora hollered over her shoulder just as they were accosted by more Grimm.

"We'll hold them off as long as we can!" Pyrrha added as she stood next to Nora, her own weapons at the ready. "Go! Now!"

With a solemn nod Blake repositioned Weiss over her shoulder, and leapt off the wall, landing gracefully on the rooftop of the nearest residential structure and sliding down to the ground below.

"No… l-let me… Need to…" Weiss protested again, her voice noticeably wobbling.

"Like hell. Your Aura's down, and you've already lost a lot of blood. If you stayed back there, you could've died." Blake took off sprinting, Gambol Shroud in one hand. The Grimm that snuck past their defences were prowling about in the streets, and judging by the sound she surmised they were out hunting.

"But… Pyrrha… Nora…"

"They'll be fine," Blake said in reassurance, while internally quashing the whispering doubt. "First, we have to get you someplace safe, somewhere where you can take a breather until your Aura kicks back in."

There was no answer from Weiss. Gut-clenching apprehension stemmed from a cursory glance that revealed the heiress' deathly pallor and fluttering eyelids, behind which laid eyes that was losing focus.

The path that she took eventually led into an avenue, lined with holographic streetlights that flickered on and off. The all-too familiar scent of fire and blood assaulted her olfactory nerves even before she took in the macabre spectacle of revolting feast of flesh and depravity. The Grimm, presumably the ones that slipped through the city's defences, most likely came across the civilians as they tried to find shelter in designated evacuation zones, only they never made it.

Blake has seen many horrors in her life, including that of Grimm feeding. Even so, one could never get fully accustomed to the queer snap of meat gnawed and torn by teeth and claws.

Another disturbing fact that she learnt, both in the safe confines of the Academy classrooms and in real life, was that the Grimm, regardless of species and temperament, had a proclivity for dining on fresh, living quarry.

This particular instance was no different; a cluster of Grimm surrounded a small group of survivors, civilians judging by the lack of any formalised combat gear. One of them managed to spot her, and desperately cried out. "H-hey, you there! Please! You have to help us!"

Blake muttered a curse. A Hunter's tenets demanded that she swore both her arms and her life to protecting and saving lives from the Grimm. The laws and ethics associated with the profession of Grimm hunters was drilled into their heads from the beginning, constantly reminding them what they were fighting for.

The slight weight draped across her shoulder also reminded her that her leader, her friend's life was in her hand, slipping closer and closer to the precipice the more time she wasted.

"Save us! I don't want to die! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Another civilian wailed in terror.

"No! Get away from me!"

Blake clenched her eyes shut. It was much easier back when she was a White Fang assassin, finding morbid gratification from her targets' desperate pleas and wet choking noises as she killed them, and now, all she felt was pain, revulsion. It was funny the way how life unfolded. If she couldn't save these people, what did that say about her and everything she has done to erase her past?

Then again, they were strangers, people she has never met before, and accounted for nothing more than faceless individuals. What value did their lives amount to, then, when compared to that of someone who she considered a friend?

Re-adjusting Weiss on her shoulder Blake sprinted away from the area, never looking back.

"Nonono! Don't go! Come back!"

"You can't leave us to die! Help!"

Their screams dogged her steps as the Grimm converged on the helpless humans, satiating their never-ending hunger. At the very least, the Grimm were too busy feeding to notice or care enough to give chase. Such dispassionate train of thought brought with it a wave of guilt, but it wasn't enough to weigh her down as she trekked deeper into the city.

* * *

 **[Few hours earlier]**

The first thing Jaune heard was a persistent buzzing in his ear, as if an insect crawled inside his auditory canal. That didn't explain the throbbing headache, or why he felt like he was hit by a heavy-class vehicle when he so much as moved a finger.

Then his senses regained its clarity, and the buzzing in his ear was, in fact, a siren, one that echoed through the streets littered with fragments of society being disassembled by chaotic anarchy. Screams and beastly howls joined in, and the young Arc forced himself up, the task made monumentally more difficult when buried under crushed remains of a train.

"Oh fuck…" was all he could utter as he recalled the mad dash to stop the train, only to result in failure and the last thing he remembered was the flood of light that encompassed everything, then the oblivion itself.

A familiar jolt coursed through his body, dulling his aches somewhat. Having 'stupidly huge amount of Aura', as Ruby put it, certainly proved useful, more so when it came to not being crushed to death from a train crash, and recovering from said crash without permanent injuries.

Though it wasn't quick enough to snap him right back into fighting shape, as a big Beowolf tackled him to the ground. Easily standing a head or so taller than an average human height, they weighed just as much, if not more, made worse as the bipedal lupine Grimm tried to close its jaw around his neck, or any part of his flesh its fangs could latch onto, if it wasn't for him grappling with the Grimm.

"Get the hell off me!" With a yell Jaune brought up his foot and kicked the Beowolf right in the chest. He was no martial artist like his teammates, but he had plenty of raw strength, and that was enough to push the Grimm off, just enough for him to finish the job with a forceful heave. Now freed, he hurriedly scanned his immediate surrounding for any implement to use as a makeshift weapon, his eyes landing on a loosened rebar with piece of concrete at the end. The Beowolf, angered, let out a growl and lunged again, only to fall short as Jaune swung the rebar like a hammer, catching it in its snout. Another swing, this time to the skull, made certain of its death.

Panting, Jaune leaned on the rebar like a crutch, keeping his breathing steady. As it was normalised, so too, did his senses, enough for him to hear rustling of stone as something beneath the debris shifted. An arm snaked out into the view, the signature yellow shade of Ember Celica tarnished with soot and dirt. Dropping the rebar Jaune dove into the pile, shoving clutter of rocks and bent metal while Yang worked her way up from below. Soon she surfaced with a cough, giving no resistance as Jaune half-carried half-dragged her out.

"Yang! You alright?"

With another cough her eyes flickered open. "Fuck, no. Everything hurts like hell." And she certainly looked the part, what with her clothes torn in places with smudges of dirt, cuts and bruises running down her exposed arms and legs. Her hair wasn't much better off, dishevelled and darkened into a messy tangle. It was perhaps a miracle that her hair wasn't burnt or ripped off from the collision.

"What the hell happened? Where the hell-"

"Get down!" A voice shouted from somewhere. Acting purely on reflex they crouched, just as a bipedal Grimm hobbled into view, only to keel over with a hole in its head.

"What the-"

A woman leapt out from behind a fallen wall, a handgun in hand. Two more shots were fired, with two more Grimm joining the dead. A closer look revealed them as the Grimm they encountered back in the tunnels, the ones with bulging eyes and vertical jaws.

"Hey, these Grimm… what are they- oh, oh shit." Stepping back, he could finally see the bigger picture, the train wreck, the remains of what was most likely once a gate of the tunnel long sealed, and the bodies littered around the wreckage site, a plaza with warehouses nearby, lined with railroads. If he had to guess, this was most likely a train station, built with the purpose of ferrying passengers and goods between Midgard and Mountain Glenn, likely abandoned after the latter was overrun by the Grimm. The ground was covered with ash and black dust, the fleeting husks of expired Grimm, courtesy of armed men and women in military gears surrounding the ground zero, who all currently had their guns pointed in their general direction.

"Don't move an inch." The gravel crunched under heavy boots, and the two turned to see the woman before them with cold hostility in her eyes.

"Wait, what-"

"I _said,_ don't move an inch," the woman repeated as she pointed them with the tip of her gun. Up this close Jaune could see the stripes and the stars denoting the rank of a sergeant emblazoned on the breast pocket of her military attire. "You're obviously not some dumb civilian, and you were crawling _out_ of the train, almost as if you were _inside_ it when the damn thing blew the gate sky high."

"Wait, what the hell are you getting at?" Yang scowled, visibly agitated over the thinly veiled accusation.

The sergeant sighed, almost as if disgusted. "Do I have to spell it out for you, you dumb brat? I'm asking if you're responsible for this goddamn train crash. We found some dead White Fang scumbag in the wreckage, the same train you two just crawled out of. Anything else you want to tell me?"

"'Dumb'?!" Yang repeated with a snarl. "Why you-"

"If you're insinuating that we're associated with the White Fang, then we can honestly say that's not true," Jaune hastily explained. "Look, it's a bit of a long story, okay? But to sum it up, the White Fang was trying to ram this train through, and we tried to stop it-"

"And a fine job you did, there. But that's assuming I believe you, and why the hell should I?"

Jaune stared, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Do we look like we're part of the White Fang?! We're Hunters-in-training, from Beacon Academy!"

The woman frowned, but stared them down with a contemplative look. After a tense moment of silence, the sergeant gestured with her hand, prompting the soldiers stationed around to lower their arms, much to Jaune's relief.

"Thank you."

"Alright, I'll bite, for now. In any case, you might want to move away from the tunnel. We dealt with the first wave, but something tells me there'll be more of them."

Jaune nodded, fully knowing who 'they' the woman was referring to.

"Not before we find our teammates first!" Yang grunted as she pushed and punched the debris, looking for signs of their companions. Jaune joined in the search, managing to find his Crocea Mors along the way, mere several feet away from where he found Ruby, half-buried under twisted steel frame, unconscious.

"Ruby!" Jaune heaved and pulled her free, quickly scanning her for any signs of injury, sighing in relief when he found none; or rather, nothing significant enough to warrant immediate medical attention. Hooking his arm under her leg he lifted her up, just as Yang surfaced from the mess with Ren, the latter sporting a nasty cut across his face but otherwise in one piece and conscious.

"J-Jaune?" The Arc scion looked down to see his partner's eyes flutter open.

"Hey, Rubes. Had a good nap?" Jaune asked with a crooked grin.

"Screw you," the leader of team RALY retorted back with a smile of her own, before it twisted into a grimace.

"You okay?" He set her down after they moved out of the hazard zone, vaguely noticing Yang and Ren following close behind.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, at least we're alive, somehow. What about Yang? Ren?"

As if on cue, Yang hustled closer, setting Ren down next to her. "Ruby! How you feelin', sis?"

"Top of the world, sis, top of the world."

In spite of everything, that got a laugh from the blonde fighter. "You bitch, and to think for a second I was worried about you." Yang helped Ruby up to her feet, then swept Ruby off her feet with a fierce hug. Ruby protested, though her soft visage reflected her true feelings in plain sight.

A dull tremor quickly put an end to their sisterly antics, and all eyes turned to the recently excavated tunnel. The echoing cacophony of noise that shouldn't have existed sent chills down the spines of all present.

"Uh, I'm guessing that's a bad thing, right?"

"Comrades, battle formation!" In unison the soldiers cocked their guns, safety switched off and fingers on the trigger.

"Oi, you brats, you said you were from Beacon Academy, right?" The sergeant said as she ejected an empty clip, before searching for a new one. "What year are you?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, first years." That wasn't the answer she was looking for, judging by a dark look on her face.

"Well, shit. Guess that's better than nothing. Alright, here's how it's gonna go down, you brats; this part of the city, the eastern quadrant, the evacuation is still under progress. Our job is to hold these goddamn hellspawn off until the civilians are fully evacuated and the blockade secured. Understood?"

"Crystal," Jaune said on Ruby's behalf, after getting nods of acknowledgement from the rest of the team. After the incident with the train, no words were needed for situations like this.

"Well, guess this is what we've been training for." Yang tossed Ruby her Crescent Rose, a little dented on the side but otherwise still in working condition. A swift glance at the magazine yielded disappointment, as she only had a handful of rounds before she was completely dry, a problem shared by Yang and Ren as well.

The only Regality without a firearm opted to instead search around the area, before he found what he was looking for. "Mind if I borrow this?" Jaune asked, holding up a toughened riot shield, once owned by a soldier now lying dead.

The sergeant stiffly nodded, pragmatism trumping over sentimental thoughts. "Use it well. Just don't end up like its former owner."

"Got it," Jaune muttered, testing out the shield with a few experimental waves and swings. It was heavier than what he was used to, but its weight was offset by its larger size and greater range of protection. It was no vanadium, but it would suffice, for the time being.

The din grew louder, and closer, and like a shattered dam the Grimm exploded outward.

"Open fire!" The rapid chorus of gunfire joined in the choir of battle, punctuated at times by the cries of the dying, be it Grimm or human. It was a bloodbath, no different from the carnage the four aspiring Hunters saw back in the tunnel with the White Fang. Try as they might, they were overwhelmed with sheer number, and so few soldiers to fend them off.

"Damnit! This isn't looking good!" Jaune slashed a Beowolf in half with his sword, bashing another with his newly acquired shield before finishing the job with a swift thrust through its torso. Nearby, Yang's explosive punches sent more Grimm flying, some intact, others in pieces. Covering her blind spot was Ren, his StormFlowers lighting up like firecrackers as he gunned down Grimm after Grimm. A signature blast of Crescent Rose somewhere overhead tipped Jaune off of his partner's location, on the rooftop on a four-storey building, an ideal location for laying down cover fire.

At least, it would've been ideal, if she had more bullets. There were too many Grimm, and not enough bullets to put them down, not even close to being enough. After she fired her last shot, she tossed the empty mag into the air, and unfolded her scythe, crouching precariously on the edge of the rooftop, then jumped. A Grimm, an Ursa minor, never even saw her coming as she delivered a swift death with a single stroke, before launching at the rest in whirlwind of blade and shadow.

Yang drew her fist back, the internal mechanisms of her pneumatic, shotgun gauntlet automatically loading shells for their inexorable discharge. She was dumbfounded, then, when empty clicks were all she got when she tried to blast her targets to smithereens. Confusion soon turned to ire, fuelling the muscles on her arm as she tightened her fist to do what she did best; punching. The Grimm on the receiving end turned to paste, one after the other. Too busy with the Grimm in front of her, she made the mistake of neglecting the ones from behind.

That is, until Ren rectified it, first with a lead hail of 9mm, then, after he realised that he too, was dry, switched to the 'tried-and-true' method of combat, infused and amplified with Aura. While he didn't employ brute force like his partner (and sometimes Jaune, whenever he couldn't be bothered with tactics), but with agility, dancing around the enemy before going in for a single killing blow.

None of them knew how much time has passed, though that was hardly anything new; when one was too deeply embroiled in battles, it wasn't uncommon to not notice the passage of time. What they did notice though, was the Grimm whittling down the number of the military presence left and right, gradually forcing them to give ground.

"Damn it, why's the evacuation taking so long?! Sergeant! We can't hold the area for much longer! We need to pull back!" A soldier toting a machine gun yelled, before a spider the size of a truck landed on him, tearing into his face with its chelicerae, silencing the screams before devouring its meal whole, its bulbous abdomen writhing as it digested its meal. It was a different variation of eight-legged nightmares Jaune encountered back in the shadowy depths of Emerald Forest, this particular monstrosity bearing a sickening hue of violet, its form twisted from that of an ordinary spider to a much more gruesome terror. Its hideousness did not make it impervious to bullets, however, as the troopers nearby avenged the death of their comrades, blood for blood.

There was a resounding _crack_ as the earth beneath split apart, the protest of metal grinding against stone preceding the entrance of what seemed like a war machine, albeit a damaged one, given the sizeable indents in the plating, and a gaping hole near the shoulder usually occupied by an autocannon. The other remaining gatling gun was still functioning, and soon a jet of 20mm rounds cut the Grimm in its firing range into shreds.

"What the-" Puzzled as they were for the identity of the new player on the battlefield, they were nonetheless grateful for the assistance, as it helped even the odds, if only for a bit.

A Grimm, a loathsome winged mass of writhing flesh and eyes, threw itself against the combat walker, the resulting impact breaking the cover of the cockpit, shedding light to the mysterious pilot, who was none other than-

"Professor Oobleck?!"

The bespectacled scholar reached for his thermic lance, and pried the polypous Grimm with its searing tip, only to be accosted with three more. Unbuckling the seatbelts, Oobleck jumped out of the cockpit, just as the flying fleshless Grimm fused together and swallowed the damaged Viking whole.

"Professor! Professor Oobleck!" Ruby yelled as the team fought their way through toward their supervising Huntsman. "Professor, you're alive! How did you-"

"An excellent question, Miss Rose, one that I would like to ask of you four as well!" There was a dry hiss, and the historian cursed under his breath as he unclasped a gas canister, tossing it aside when he read the gauge. The Dust battery still had some power left, though, a small silver lining, all things considered. "We'll talk more later! For now, focus on the Grimm!"

"Right! Ring formation!" Ruby commanded, and the four Regalities plus one Huntsman stood back-to-back, assuming defensive positions ideal for drawn-out combat situations like this one. The many days spent on team exercises and training proved more than useful, as the Regalities moved like oiled machine, smooth with little resistance. They killed, killed, and killed Grimm after Grimm, but there just didn't seem to be an end in sight.

The defenders were losing more and more of their strength. Spread too thin, none of them could stop the stampede of Grimm punching through the defensive line and plunging deeper into the city to hunt their prey, guided by their instincts and hunger for human flesh.

"They've broken through! I repeat, they've broken through our line!" The sergeant yelled hoarsely into her earpiece, struggling to stay on her feet despite the deep cut that ran down her thigh. "Respond, damnit!"

"We have to retreat, there's no other opti-" Oobleck trailed off, eyes wide and frozen. None of the Regalities raised a brow in question, for they too, felt it, the indescribable, palpable suspense that drowned everything out around them.

They smelled it first before they saw it, a noxious smell that faintly suggested of ancient decay, the kind that, for reasons unknown, they knew should not have belonged down here in the world of Men.

Then, the aperture erupted outward, and out came the gargantuan slug they have seen back in the underground metro station. The poor indoor lighting did not do its form justice, and only now did they see its truly hideous form in full; an open maw jutting with briar of thorn-like teeth, unblinking eyes of crimson and yellowed pupils, and, exuding from its slimy mantle down to its tail, were rows of bristling spines that glinted like steel.

Jaune didn't need to see that he wasn't the only one who were momentarily paralysed, a fatal mistake paid for with the lives of guardsmen who were unfortunate enough to get doused with the elder Grimm's acidic saliva. Right then and there, he learned for the first time what melting flesh sounded like, and the scream a man made during the agonising process.

"Professor, what do we do?!" Ruby cried with a hint of hysteria.

"RUN!" A soldier shouted in panic. It was a sound directive, nonetheless, and soon the Regalities and Oobleck, along with the remaining military forces, were in full retreat. The Grimm, now unopposed, flooded into Midgard's eastern sector, killing any and all who stood in the way. Not long after, the southern wall was breached, leaving the denizens within at the non-existent mercy of the Grimm as they tore into the city.

* * *

 **A/N: Because a chapter isn't complete without one.**

 **Same deal as before; split one long chapter into two smaller ones.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	23. Act 2: Chapter 14

**ACT 2: Siege of Midgard - Part 2**

* * *

" _Personal Cloaking Devices, or PCDs for short, are state-of-the-art piece of stealth technology designed to refract light around the user, rendering said user 'invisible' to the naked eye. Careful observation would show faint ripples or disturbance in the air which would give away their position, and thermal vision would also effectively detect any cloaked personnel._

" _However, as innovative as the technology is, it never progressed beyond its prototype stage, as human experimentation with the devices yielded rather… disturbing results. More than 70% of the test subjects experienced mental adverse effects, including but not limited to: psychosis, mania, delusions and hallucinations, and in worst case scenario, coma, insanity, or even death. The effects proved to be irreversible, as MRI scanning of affected individuals showed a wide-scale damage of the neural cortex. Other side effects included dyskinesia, tremors, bradykinesia, to name a few. The exact mechanism of such adverse reactions are unclear as of present, though some speculate irreversible changes in neurotransmitter receptor sensitivity. Regardless, PCDs were labelled as 'dangerous' and its development was discontinued, while the existing models were confiscated for safety._

" _Further note showed that PCDs are ineffective when used by personnel with Aura; again, exact interaction between the two are unknown, merely postulated, such as the wave pattern of Aura emanation cancelling out the light-refracting property of PCDs, thus rendering it useless."_

-Atlesian R & D log entry #90

* * *

"Headmaster, I've got General Ironwood on the line."

"Patch him through," Ozpin instructed as he sank into his chair, the monitor flashing to life. "James, I assume you've been informed?"

"To the letter. The councillors requested Atlesian senate for reinforcement." Ironwood's hard visage stared back from the screen. "I'm bringing the bulk of the Atlesian Fleet with me, Ozpin, and I've already sent Icarus Wings ahead as vanguards. They'll reach the city in about an hour, and we won't be far behind, either."

Ozpin wasn't too pleased with the answer. "Midgard's defences are falling, and fast, James. They won't last an hour."

"They'll have to. I'm pushing the fleet to their limits already – and scanners show a sizeable force of flyers in the sky, so we'll likely meet some resistance along the way."

Beacon's headmaster sighed. "My apologies. I understand. Just… get there as fast as you can."

Ironwood's countenance softened in sympathy. "You have my word."

Ozpin terminated the comm-link, just as a young woman strode in, fully armed.

"You called for me, sir?"

Ozpin nodded. "I've ordered the deputy headmistress to round up as many third- and fourth-year students as reinforcement, along with other professors. The rest of the Brotherhood, as such, will accompany me and remain here and defend the institution. Relay that message to the others, if you will, Miss Moisia."

The cyan-haired Huntress snapped to a salute, immediately understanding the meaning behind the order. "At once, headmaster." Without another word the Huntress strode out of his office, quietly relaying the given orders via private comm-lines.

With that settled, Ozpin turned his attention to establishing another comm-line with Qrow, or rather another attempt of connecting one. As soon as words of invasion reached his ears, he wasted little time in contacting Qrow to check up on the status of the large company of Huntsmen and Huntresses who vacated Midgard in order to quell the large outbreak of Grimm infestation that brewed further down the southern part of Sanus. Last he heard from the Nightingale was that he had already organised the company to return back to the besieged city, though the line went cold from that point onward.

Ozpin looked up just as several Bullheads took to the air, each ferrying as many able-bodied senior students they could muster in response to Midgard's distress calls. Though not all of them were Beacon students, allegiance and rivalry was placed on the back burner when faced against humanity's common threat.

As much as he wanted to pitch in and lead the fight himself, he knew his duties here were far more crucial, enough to take priority over answering Midgard's call for aid. It was all he could do to simply watch the VTOL aircrafts fly off into the distance, left with a solemn thought of how many of the students, whether they were his or not, would return once this was all over.

* * *

"How much farther 'till we reach Midgard?"

"Not long, ETA about quarter of an hour, twenty tops," the pilot replied, not bothering to take her eyes off the console. Flight navigation was difficult when the wind was working against them, more so when every second mattered.

The dropship swayed then, and Qrow tightened his hold on the railing next to him to keep himself from stumbling out of his seat. Looking around, he saw his fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses doing the same, lost in grim silence. Understandable, given the city's current status; the southern wall breached, the eastern sector compromised, the defenders in disarray, being devoured and slaughtered left and right. It also didn't help that they were vastly outnumbered, either. Huntsmen and Huntresses they may be, but not even skill and experience could withstand overwhelming numbers. It was like pouring a bucket of water into a raging volcano.

Of course, they were more than aware of the fact. Direct assault was tantamount to suicide, and so Qrow, along with other de facto leaders of the company of Hunters, devised tactics to manoeuvre around and reach the city first, then relying on its segmented quadrants and remnants of military forces to force the Grimm into bottlenecks, while hunting down the ones that managed to scamper deeper into the city. It wasn't enough to secure victory, but it was a sound plan to buy time for the Atlesian Fleet to join in the fray, and hopefully turn the tide of the battle in their favour.

Reality, as usual, had different plans, ones that usually never survived contact with the enemy. A shockwave tore through the dropship, precariously lurching like a ship on the verge of sinking, or in this case, rapidly losing altitude.

"Shit! We've got flyers on our six! Left wing engine's down!" The pilot yelled as she furiously wrestled the joystick. "I'm hit! I'm-"

There was a screech of shattering glass, and a beastly caw as an avian Grimm crashed through the windscreen, its twisted beak punching through both the pilot and the seat.

Qrow was quick to retaliate, his Dainsleif folded into its shotgun form and shredding the Grimm into pieces with a point-blank fire. Wind howled in his ears as it rushed in through the shattered windscreen, and he felt the dropship's descension accelerate.

"Damnit!" Slamming his fist on the emergency lever, he forced the chute open. "Everyone, out!"

"Shit! This is insane!" One of the Huntsman yelled over the whiplash.

"You wanna go down with the ship, be my guest, pal!" Qrow sheathed his greatsword, and without hesitation jumped down the ramp. Air whipped past his ear, his eyes stinging from the resulting friction of his descent. Then came the rush of adrenaline, the thrill of free-falling, the drum of his heartbeat ringing in his ears. Times like this was what made the profession of hunting man-eaters for a living worth it.

"Speaking of the devil…" Below him a small hill stood surrounded by wild grassland sparsely populated with knotted trees. A horde of Grimm, relatively small in size, occupied the area, red, soulless eyes cast upwards as more and more dropships were shot down from the sky.

Dainsleif extended and in grasp, the Nightingale twirled mid-air and crash-landed on an unsuspecting Beowolf down below, instantly killing it. Without a pause Qrow tore into the next, vaguely aware of the increasing company as other Hunters made their descent all around the vicinity, their Aura mitigating the otherwise fatal fall damage.

All around him, he could see more and more dropships accosted by their 'welcoming committee', forcing their advances to a halt.

"Clear the area!" Qrow roared. No further words were necessary, as the Huntsmen and Huntresses dispersed and engaged the onrushing horde. Those with the sharpest eyes sniped down the flyers circling overhead, while the rest laid devastation upon the mass of Grimm with brutal efficiency. With the threat level visibly reduced, the dropships bringing up the rear managed to land in one piece, and before long, the hillside was theirs. It was a small victory, insignificant in the grand scheme of things, perhaps, but at least it bought them some time to regroup and reassess their options.

"Was that easy, or what?" A red-haired Huntsman strode into view, lips curled in a smirk. "They caught us with our pants down, sure, but didn't even put up a decent fight. I mean, shit."

Qrow snorted. "Easy there, grasshopper. Most of the Grimm we mopped up here were just class D grunts, with a few C's thrown in here and there. And seeing how there aren't any more around, I'm guessing they were just stragglers bringing up the rear."

"So?"

"So, little Sammy, is that you'll be whistling a different tune when you get to tango with the big bad Grimm, so try not to get too cocky just yet, yeah?"

The redhead glared. "Very funny, boss. And it's 'Simin', for fuck's sake!"

"My bad, my bad," the Nightingale chuckled, before his expression hardened. "In any case, what's the status?"

"Not counting a few unlucky bastards who kicked the bucket early, most of us are in one piece and accounted for," Simin reported. "Seems like nearly half of the dropships were blown out of the sky, so our primary plan is pretty much bust."

"No shit," Qrow snorted, eyes zeroing in on the columns of smoke rising in the distance, the city almost completely obscured by legions and legions of Grimm ahead, both on the ground and on air.

"Yeah, fuck. Even if we still had those ships, it probably wouldn't have worked out, not when the sky's contested."

"So, what's the plan, then? An all-out assault?"

Qrow reached for his flask. "We bring the fight to them, we're basically serving ourselves on a silver platter. The plain's too wide, we'll be flanked on all sides if we move in too far. No, we draw them to us instead."

Simin cocked his head, frowning. "No offence or nothin' but you even hearing yourself now? That's like asking us to get ourselves killed."

"You got a better plan, Soman?" Qrow huffed. "Unless you want to sit and watch our city burn, then be my guest."

"'Simin'! And fuck that, I'll throw myself off of Ozpin's launch-pad than let the Grimm walk all over us!"

Qrow smirked in his drink. "That's the spirit. Simon, do me a favour and divvy up our colleagues here into four units, will 'ya?"

The redhead bristled. "It's 'Simin'!" All the same, he did as he was instructed, and Qrow was pleased to see them fall into line without question. Discipline wasn't exclusive to just the military, after all.

"Alright folks, listen up! Units one and two, with me! Three and Four, take positions up on the hill and cover our exit! You've all been drilled with leapfrogging one-oh-one, so move in sync with your unit at all times!"

Each unit moved to their assigned positions, the first two arranging themselves into rows with weapons drawn, while the latter two took to the hillside, making use of the trees as vantage points for ambush.

"Simone, get me a flare."

"Fuck, it's 'Simin'!" The red-haired Huntsman fumed as he tossed the item in question.

Qrow replied with a quick laugh, setting off the fuse and let it soar upward, its bright flare more than succeeding in drawing the eyes of many Grimm in the rear and away from Midgard. With a cacophony of beastly cries and wails, the Grimm horde charged with reckless abandon.

"Don't forget! Our main objective is to draw as many of these bastards we can away from the city! Cut their numbers down bit by bit!" Qrow roared, grip tightening around his Dainsleif as the Grimm closed in, the stampede kicking up a storm of dust.

"And one last thing! For fuck's sake don't get yourselves killed! And if you really have to kick the bucket, at least give those fuckers hell before you do!"

The assembled units of Huntsmen and Huntresses raised their battle cries, bracing for imminent impact.

Seconds later, there was collision of steel against fangs and claws, the Hunters dispersing and dancing their ways around the battlefield. Blood and black matter drenched the soil, while fire and lead shook the earth.

And amidst the chaos, Qrow suddenly stopped when a foreign, yet familiar chill raced down his form, immediately followed by an overwhelming sense of dread, an intense disturbance that grasped and suffocated his very core.

His Aura was reacting to… _whatever_ it was, an irresistible tug that refused to relinquish its grip on his consciousness. So great was the pull, that he found himself consumed by the very darkness he wielded, dragging him away from the battlefield, away from his comrades as they desperately fought for their lives around him, towards the source, heeding its beckoning call.

* * *

Ruby too, heard, or rather, felt it, her Aura violently flaring up in response, wild and uncontrollable. Before she could cry out, before she was even aware of it, the ground beneath her gave away, and the inky well of blackness swallowed her whole, leaving nary a trace of her behind.

A strange world rushed past her sight, blurred and monochromic, bereft of light and any warmth, fading away just as quickly as it came. When she sensed her return to the reality she knew and lived in, it was atop an apartment complex overlooking the train station, the tunnel breached by Torchwick and the White Fang.

Something rustled beside her, and she looked up, gasping when she found-

"Uncle Qrow?"

"Ruby?!" If anything, the Huntsman looked just as bewildered to see her here. "What are you-"

A deep rumbling echoed like a foghorn, causing the two to start and blanch when they beheld the gargantuan slug that occupied most of the ruined plaza, its many eyes trained on the only two living humans in the vicinity.

Hundreds, maybe a thousand – Ruby couldn't tell, the numbers were too vast to surmise the approximate number – converged on the two humans standing back to back, snapping and growling, but strangely keeping their distance.

"Uncle Qrow, how'd we get here?" Ruby whimpered. One second she was with her team, running for their lives, then the next she was back here, alone save for her uncle, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "What do we do? What do we do!"

If Qrow had any answers, he was in no state to give them, as the titanic elder Grimm's one of many spines struck like a serpent, skewering the Huntsman clean through the shoulder.

* * *

Hundreds of feet above the besieged city, another war was taking place, each side vying for supremacy and control over the sky. Winged beasts and worse cawed and shrieked, as volleys of anti-air ordnance tore them out of the sky. The Grimm were, by nature, tenacious, and struck back with reckless abandon, some even bodily throwing themselves at the airships to physically drag them down.

Even so, it was clear that victory was at hand; for starters, there were vastly fewer flyers than the 'land-crawlers' that swarmed the city, and secondly, they were up against the Atlesian Fleet, the union of advanced weapons technology and fiercest of all of Remnant's military strength. It wasn't long before the Icarus Wings carved a path through the sky, while the bulk of the Fleet followed, cleaning up the rest of the stragglers without too much difficulty.

Leading said Fleet was a titanic, leviathan-class battleship, easily several times larger than the more common Chimera-class ships, boasting much thicker armour and heavier guns. Consisting of more than five hundred crews, _Calypso_ was one of the few prominent ships that spear-headed Atlas' military operations. It also served as Ironwood's flagship, where he and other tactical advisors mapped out the terrain and issued commands.

"Now that the flyers are taken care of, resume the airstrike – cauterise the area, I don't want to take any chances. As for the city itself, deploy the Knights, I want all boots on the ground."

"Yes, General. At once."

Nodding, Ironwood ambled to _Calypso_ 's bridge, which also doubled as an observatory of sorts, offering a clear view of the Grimm infestation that threatened to swallow the city whole, an enormous, black, cancerous growth. A tinge of satisfaction welled up inside as he watched the bombardment commence, cleansing the black tumour with fire, reducing them and the earth they trampled on into smouldering cinder. The Goliaths proved much more troublesome than the lesser Grimm that scurried about, but even its thick bones and hide wasn't impervious to hailstorm of ballistic missiles and explosives. There was a round of cheer amongst the strike teams as the last of the Goliaths finally toppled over, crushing many smaller Grimm in the process.

While the carpet bombing continued, another contingent of ships flew lower towards the city, unloading their passengers, both human and machine, to commence with the surgical strike to effectively excise the invasive tumour from within. Among them were a handful of Venators and Venatrixes who volunteered to help with the clean-up, compelled by their ties to Vale and its provinces to raise their arms in its defence.

His earpiece buzzed. "Sir, the Atlesian Knights are on the ground. We'll maintain tight formation and aid the surviving defenders in extermination."

"Excellent. Scour every inch of the city and rout them."

"Two of the four sectors were overwhelmed by the Grimm," one of the tactical advisors said as she sidled closer to the holographic map of the city in question, both the southern and eastern quadrants highlighted in red. "The paths leading south are wide and straight, perfect locations to deploy Vikings to help hold and push the line."

One of the visual feeds of the city showed an explosion of light, momentarily drawing the eyes of all on the bridge. "That Arc… I swear, I told her to keep it down when near the AKs, the damn light-show scrambles their photo sensors and the next thing we know, we've got a batch of dozens of AKs that needs to be shipped off to the engineering department, and the budget's are going to shoot through the roof again-"

Ironwood shook his head in mirth as the bridge captain muttered, though he still opened a comm-link to the Venatrix. "Miss Arc, while your work is appreciated, do try to tone down your… _abilities_ when near the androids."

His earpiece buzzed again. "Beg your pardon, general, but I'm not sure I understand."

"Agent Arc, I've seen you on the field many times before, I know when you've set off your… _Semblance_ or whatever it is. How many times have I already asked you to restrain yourself-"

"With all due respect, _captain_ ," the reply came with a biting tone, "We're just engaging the enemy, and I'm all too aware of when and when not to utilise my Semblance."

"If it wasn't you just then, then who?"

"I'm sending you the approximate coordinates, Arc," Ironwood took over, before things got heated up. "Go, and find out what, or who, caused it."

"Another Lupus…?" came the muttered response. "On it, general."

"Then go," Ironwood commanded, then terminated the comm-link.

"Sir, the Dragoons' got a visual on the eastern quadrant. It's… well, unusual, to say the least," one of the pilots called over his shoulder.

"Put it through."

The holographic screen changed to a live feed, and Ironwood could hear the bridge descend into stunned silence. The screen was tearing with static from signal disturbance, but they could clearly make out the horde of Grimm unlike anything they've ever seen on the sunlit surface. The most disturbing of all was the twisted slug easily towering over the buildings in the vicinity, its far too many beady eyes blinking, twitching, and the countless bodies of men and women impaled on its thrashing tentacle-like appendages like a grotesque barbeque skewers.

"What… what is _that_?!"

"It doesn't matter, it's just another Grimm, and will die like the rest. Call the airstrike around the abomination, sterilise the area," Ironwood ordered.

"But sir, it's inside the city. The civilians-"

"That quadrant's already lost, and if anyone still trapped inside they're dead either way. But if that Grimm isn't taken care of now, it could tear Midgard apart, then there'll be nothing left to salvage." Ironwood glanced at the crew on the bridge, and they knew there was no disobeying the order. "Sound the airstrike. Now."

"…Yes, sir."

As the order was relayed, the unknown aberrant turned and slipped back through the breached tunnel, dragging with it the bodies of Midgard's slain defenders scattered in the vicinity. Minutes later, the entire plaza was engulfed in a cacophony of explosions, the horde of Grimm caught in the blast radius soon reduced to charred pile of ashes, as the industrial infrastructure of the vicinity collapsed with them.

* * *

Even with the Atlesian Fleet entering the fray, the inferno of war raged on past the night and only when the morning came did its fire finally died down to embers. The last of the Grimm outside the city was felled with combined efforts of Atlesian ground troops and Midgard's defenders, or what remained of their numbers.

Within the city itself, teams of Hunters scoured Midgard's every nook and cranny for any hidden stragglers, mercilessly obliterating the ones they found while retrieving the bodies – or the remaining pieces left uneaten by the Grimm, in any case – back for identification and burial.

The plains surrounding the city were completely razed and levelled, the black scorch marks covering the once verdant fields of grass and fauna. Wildfire ensued from the relentless bombing, sweeping through the surrounding forests until they were at last extinguished, leaving behind patches of land with blackened earth and burnt husks of trees.

Midgard itself was in no better shape; more than half of the city infrastructure suffered collateral damage, from minor fractures to complete devastation. The exact number of casualties was still undetermined, though the figure continued to rise, disheartening many. Those whose bodies were found were still considered lucky; the less fortunate lot were deemed as 'missing', though in the context of Grimm infestation, 'missing' had a far less pleasant implication than under conventional circumstances. Even so, some hoped against hope.

The government of Vale suffered backlash from public outcry, while the media condemned and defended their actions, as fingers were pointed and accusations were directed toward one another. The near-complete destruction of what should've been Vale's second-most heavily-guarded city set the rest of Remnant on edge, setting the major cities in high alert while citizens migrated from their rural abodes to the relative safety of the cities and their walls.

In the years to come, this day would be labelled as the worst Grimm outbreak in the Third Age, though little did the world know, this was only the beginning.

* * *

 **A/N: Certainly been a while since I last updated - my old laptop (used it for nearly 6 years) finally died on me, before I got the chance to back up all my files. Suffice to say, the original draft for this chapter was lost (along with the collection of por- ahem, _educational learning modules_ ) so that killed off my muse for a while. My original plan for this chapter was longer, more detailed, but I feel like I've dragged the Mountain Glenn arc long enough, so I decided to leave other parts out for later chapters.**

 **Also, some of the named OC's in this chapter aren't mine - they're from this guy called Mark Zhang, who made these astounding 'trailer vids' for his OC's. I was just too lazy to invent my own, so I took the liberty of borrowing them as cameos for this chapter. Kudos to the guy for his works, and don't sue me.**

 **In any case, this chapter marks the end of Act 2 - the next chapter will mark the beginning of Act 3, and like the previous chapters, it'll stay somewhat true to the canon, though with my own twists to the events and whatnot.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading.**


	24. Act 3: Chapter 1

**ACT 3: Of Light and Darkness**

* * *

" _First, there was singularity, then chaos. From chaos, primordial forces separated to form 'Light' and 'Darkness'._

" _Tales of old, long forgotten by many, state these two primordial elements were then given form, as gods, Creators, if you will. Few tales depict them as brothers, while other variations portray them as lovers. There's no clear answer as to which version is correct, so for the sake of spicing things up, I'll just go with the 'lover' edition. Nothing like a tragic love story to create some serious drama._

" _The goddess of Light was said to possess the power of creation, to breathe the very essence of 'life' into her own creations - verdant land filled with plants and all manner of wildlife, vast stretches of oceans housing many species of marine lifeform, and the endless skies ruled by creatures gifted with wings. Her greatest creation, however, was the Sun, infused with a portion of her eternal Light, a star that never went out, immune to the passages of time._

" _Unfortunately, the goddess, in her zeal, made the Sun far too bright, far too close to the world. As a result, land began to dry up, plants withered, while the oceans boiled and evaporated, and all lifeform burned to death._

" _To rectify his lover's mistake, the god of Darkness stepped in, and created opposing forces to negate Light's overwhelming influence. He created the night, a welcome reprieve from the Sun's burning glare. He created rain, to quench the thirst of droughts, and eventually took a small part of the world the goddess created to form the moons, where he could sit and watch over his own creations._

" _Now, here's where the details get rather hazy; some iterations claim the goddess of Light, out of jealousy, tried to twist her lover's creation by intensifying their magnitude, turning rainfall into floods, and whatnot. Others argue that the god of Darkness, drunk in his own power, arrogantly gave life to beings of malice and evil, namely the Grimm, while others say it was their conflict that gave birth to Grimm-kind. Being a god's direct creation, they would be born with an innate desire, instinct, to kill and destroy anything and everything, reasons and purposes be damned. The first of the Grimm would be the eldest of their kinds, the most ancient, and the most powerful, the most dangerous._

" _Yeah, it's confusing enough to hear different sides of the story, much less figure out which is genuine and which isn't, assuming any of them are. But one thing that writers agree on, however, is that the gods both knew their feuds could not last forever, as the world they created was suffering from the backlash of the 'clash of the divines' or whatever. So, they agreed to create one final creation, together, something that they could both be proud of, their last masterpiece. This last great creation would have the potential for creation and destruction, the gift of 'soul' that made them unique from any other lifeform created thus far, the gift of intelligence to understand and rule or control the world around them as they saw fit, and the ability of 'choice' to shape their own destiny, as well as the fates of those around them._

" _Actually, the last bit is a bit ambiguous, as certain texts in the oldest written account seems to imply that 'choosing one's own fates' is but an illusion; 'men do not rule circumstances, circumstances rule men', as the saying goes. Of course, some would vehemently argue that by choosing to reject the notion of pre-determined fate or whatever, that'd effectively make them 'independent' and 'free of will', right? Well, who's to say that their very act of choosing to reject was pre-determined, and that they're only led to believe they have freedom of choice? Okay, okay, I'll stop, all this philosophy crap's hurting my head, too._

" _Anyways, back to the story; well, an end of one, 'cause that's where the story ends, a story that tries to explain Humanity's origins, and maybe impart the readers with an important life lesson or leave them with thought-provoking conceptions. At least, that's what the public – the small portion that's aware of this story's existence, that is – is led to believe._

" _Truth is, there are more to the story. You see, before the gods – or god and goddess, depending on which version you're more partial to – finally disappeared into the unknown, they both, unbeknownst to each other, hand-picked a small sect of chosen individuals to carry and continue their legacy. Those chosen by the deity of Light, be it god or goddess, was given power to control and harness Light, while those chosen by the deity of Darkness was given reign over Darkness itself._

" _As you can already imagine, both primordial elements, while two sides of the same coin, are opposites. And seeing how humans are naturally inclined to violence, both factions inevitably clashed, much blood and tears being spilt on either side. There aren't many records that survived past the Dark Ages, so we've no idea of the exact nature of conflicts between two factions, let alone how long it's been going on for. What we do know though, is that most of the families in both factions died off over time, until only a handful of individuals remain in the present that carries their blood, however thin they may be."_

* * *

The first time she walked in the darkness, she was alone, separated from her team and stranded under the surface, untouched by light. So great was the fear that she felt as if the very darkness that engulfed the tunnels were alive, slowly creeping towards the vulnerable Huntress-in-training before devouring her whole. The subsequent 'walks' spread over the course of Midgard's siege was borne out of desperation and adrenaline-fuelled 'fight or flight' reflexes, thus solidifying the suspicion that something has definitely changed in her.

Now, Ruby found herself attempting to replicate the same feat, this time intentionally, and with another Nightingale's lead. The Huntsman and his protégé was currently leaning against a tall tree not far from their log house in Patch, the same tree that uncle and niece often sat under after long days of training. It's thick leafy canvas provided a nice amount of shade from the almost scathingly hot summer daylight.

"I know you've already done it before, even if accidentally, but stay close to me, alright?" Qrow instructed as Ruby grasped his hand in response.

"Nervous?" Her grip was tight, and it wasn't difficult to see her face pale in muted apprehension. "Don't worry, just follow my lead, and it'll be okay."

Wordlessly Ruby nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak, lest something other than words came out. The last time she was this nervous was when she was temporarily kicked out of Signal academy, after miserably failing weapons training classes. Qrow himself showed up not too long after, and tossed her a practice scythe he used back in his trainee days. Her natural proficiency with the unconventional weapon surprised even herself, leading to Qrow taking her under his tutelage, and the rest was history.

Ruby took a deep breath. "Ready."

Qrow chuckled. "Relax, kiddo, it's not that bad. Well, probably not."

Before she could protest, the shadows beneath their feet began to flicker, tendrils of darkness rising before crawling upwards, enveloping them. It all happened so fast, she barely had time to scream before she felt herself plunging down into the unknown.

Ruby squeezed her eyes shut in reflex, until a gentle nudge on her shoulder coaxed them open. And when she did, she was at a loss for words.

Everything was identical, yet different. The tree that she and Qrow stood under was no longer stout and alive, but sickly pale and skeletal, what few leaves that remained on its bony limbs withered and dead. The forest that loomed beyond too looked lifeless, ghost-like shimmering sliver of light silently floating through the dying woods.

"U-uncle Qrow? Where… where are we?" Ruby whimpered as she realised their house was gone, left in its place a patch of land choked by thick cluster of weed. Worse yet, the clear, cloudless blue sky of Remnant's summer was now a bleak, cloud-filled plane of alternate existence. Where the sun should've been, there was a gaping maw of void, casting this strange, alien world in perpetual darkness.

"No one knows the true name of this dimension, and among us Nightingales, we just refer to this place as 'the Other Side'," Qrow explained, his blasé tone a stark contrast to Ruby's ever-growing consternation. "You ever heard of parallel universes?"

"A little," Ruby said meekly, as she tried to recall what little she could remember of rudimentary science classes.

"Alright, so I won't go into too much details, mostly because even we Nightingales don't fully understand the laws of this dimension, much less how this plane of existence came to be," Qrow slipped back into his 'lecturer mode', if said classes were held in a strange world where everything felt off, like things existing when they never should have.

"To be fair, no one can truly say this is a parallel universe, just a mere conjecture. I'm sure you already noticed, but we are currently on the island of Patch." As Ruby threw him a look of sheer disbelief, he held up his hands in a placating manner. "Okay, so not the Patch that we know and exist in, just another variation of it."

That wasn't what Ruby wanted to know. "Uncle, why are we here?"

"This world, this Other Side, is where only we Nightingales can enter and leave freely. This is the world we pass through when we phase, or shadow step." Qrow then snorted in hollow amusement. "Scene's not really what you'd call kodak-worthy, though."

Try as she might, she couldn't recall ever seeing this place before, back when she accidentally warped through the darkness. "I-I don't think I've been here, before."

"That's not surprising – first time anyone shadow step, they won't know what they're going to find. Don't worry, I know you're feeling a bit uncomfortable here, but you'll get used to the place, eventually."

At that, Ruby couldn't help but shudder. She much preferred if she never had to. "Eventually?"

One had to be practically blind (and hard of hearing) to miss the disquietude in her tone. Not that he blamed her, he himself has frequented this Other Side for decades already, and if he had to be honest, this place was as chilling and unsettling as the first time he found it. Briefly he wondered if it was such a good idea to bring Ruby here so soon. Under ideal circumstances, he would've given his niece more time to come to terms with her newfound heritage, then slowly ease her into accepting her situation.

All hopes for an easy approach was dashed when he learned she had not only warped once, but multiple times, all of them unintentional. Having witnessed her atop that building facing against the elder Grimm back in Midgard was the last confirmation he needed to see that she was no longer the same innocent Ruby who trudged off to Beacon Academy.

The Nightingale was shaken out of his reverie when he heard his niece's sharp gasp. Tensing, his gaze snapped up as a shadowy figure slowly crept into view.

"Uncle? What's that?" Ruby reached for her Crescent Rose, mentally cursing when she realised she left it back in… whichever plane of existence they came from.

The… _thing,_ or whatever it was, seemed humanoid in appearance, though the exact outline of its shape was unclear, as it seemed incorporeal, instead dark hazes swirling within confines of what likely constituted as its 'body'. The most unnerving part, apart from the slow, awkward gait, was the two glowing orbs affixed on what she assumed its head, glowing the exact same shade of blood red she often saw in Grimm.

"That's a Grimm," Qrow explained, his tone far too casual for the occasion, earning him another incredulous look from his niece. "It's alright, they can't hurt us. Not here, at least."

"But uncle Qrow! It's a Grimm! It-"

-wasn't attacking, or made a threatening gesture, Ruby realised. It simply stared at the two humans blankly, rooted to the spot. It eventually swivelled around and wandered off, and only when it truly disappeared did Ruby let some of the tension bleed out.

"What-what was all _that_ about?" Ruby couldn't help but ask. Everything in this alien realm was an enigma. "How is that thing a Grimm? And if it was, why didn't it attack us? And-"

Qrow chuckled. "Easy, kiddo. I'll tell you what you want to know, all in good time. But first, breathe."

Ruby obliged, and Qrow nodded. "Alrighty, then. First, we know that's a Grimm, 'cause that's how they look down here, in this Other Side. I don't know why they look the way they do, but that's how it is. As for why it didn't go hostile, remember, Grimm are creatures of darkness, and so are Nightingales."

Ruby made a face, eliciting a chuckle from the Huntsman. "Yeah, now you see it. Funny thing is, that basically means us Nightingales are related to Grimm in some weird, twisted logic. That's why they don't go ape-shit when they see us; down here, they don't see us as humans, but as part of the scenery, maybe even as one of them."

"That… isn't very comforting," Ruby uttered.

Qrow shrugged. "Suppose not. At least it's one less thing to worry about whenever we crash down here. At the same time, though, just as we can see them, they too, can see us. Whenever we warp, no human or Faunus in Remnant can ever see or catch us. But Grimm? They'll know. That's why our powers don't do squat against Grimm. Just a friendly warning."

It was then and there that Ruby decided she had seen enough of this place. "Uncle, can we go back? _Please_?"

Qrow nodded. "Guess that's enough fun for today. Hold on, I'll get us back." Grabbing her hand, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Subconsciously Ruby found herself doing the same, and the darkness enveloped them both.

When she opened her eyes again, they were back in Patch. _Their_ Patch. Relieved, Ruby's legs buckled and she fell on her rear, the soft beds of grass cushioning her fall. The sky regained its clear, blue hue, the sun back in its usual perch above the heavens.

The log house, her home, was there, as if it never left.

Never has she missed her home like so, not even during her first few weeks in Beacon.

A hand on her shoulder prompted her to look up. "Hey, you did real good job today, kiddo. How about we call it a day? Go to town, get some fresh air, whatever you want to do today," Qrow said. There were more he wanted to tell her, that he was proud of her, that he was sorry she had to endure this, and other things he wanted to get off of his chest.

And like so many times before, words failed him, and he could only watch as Ruby muttered an excuse about being tired, before retiring to her room and quietly locked the door.

From the kitchen window, Taiyang shot him a stony look. Both men may have reached a mutual understanding regarding Ruby's circumstances, but that didn't mean he completely approved. As far as he was concerned, much of it reminded him of the female Branwen, and that dredged up slew of unpleasant memories.

His scroll chose that moment to ring, and Qrow picked it up with a sigh. "Yeah?"

"Headmaster Ozpin's calling for a meeting," the feminine voice spoke from the other end.

"Alright. Tell him I'll be there in a minute." He ended the line without another word. Sparing one last glance at his niece's room up in the attic, he vanished like a ghost.

* * *

No place on Remnant was left untouched by Grimm, and the quaint, sequestered island of Patch was no exception. However, the local wildlife that thrived here in the small woods on the other side of the island was much less hostile and dangerous compared to their mainland variants. The worst of the lot was a Beowolf the size of a man, which by mainland standards was comparatively small.

To think, only a year ago, he was struggling against a single Beowolf. Now, they served as decent dummies for training purposes.

The Beowolf on the other end of the clearing snarled, helpfully snapping him back to present. Without another warning, the Grimm charged, ever the slave to their own instincts.

Focusing his Aura, he steadied himself, and, controlling the flow of his Aura, expelled them in a burst of light. It wasn't as violent as the first few times he unintentionally unleashed his Semblance, but the results were just as potent; where the Beowolf once stood, only a pile of smoking ash remained.

"Holy _shit_!" Jaune couldn't hold back the pure glee as he took in his handiwork. After hours and hours of failed attempts and frustration, he finally did it, without exhausting his entire Aura reserve this time around. "Did you _see_ that? That Beowolf, I just- holy shit!"

The eldest of the Arc siblings laughed. "Yes, I did. Nice work, li'l bro."

Jaune continued to beam as he dropped on his back, letting out a content sigh as he stretched. Iris plopped down next to him, setting down her spear, Longinus, next to Jaune's Crocea Mors, currently sheathed in a tattered, worn scabbard he borrowed from Qrow. Not that the blade needed one; despite all the abuse it went through (and dished out in kind), the Arc's legacy had nary a scratch on its flawless, mirror-like blade.

It was a shame the same couldn't be said for its wielder.

When Iris and her fellow Venators and Venatrixes pitched in to purge Midgard of Grimm filth, she never expected to see her brother there, much less fighting for his life, or awakening the Arc family's Semblance. He was lucky that she was there to drag his ass out of the frontline, the idiot completely exhausted whatever Aura he had left, leaving himself completely exposed and vulnerable. It was like the Emerald Forest incident all over again, much to her chagrin.

She also knew that there was more to the story. Jaune was forthcoming with much of the details revolving around his mission, even the close call with Roman Torchwick, but when prompted further he fell silent, his eyes emotionless and blank. Iris chose not to pry any further, but knew it was something that she had to confront him about sooner or later. Given the context, however, she had a suspicion of what was eating away at him.

For now, though, her brother was smiling like a loon, and she was more than happy to let him bask in his moment.

"You've got the fundamentals down pat, so once you get the hang of our family Semblance, then we'll move on to more… well, _advanced_ applications of Aegis," Iris said.

That got Jaune's attention as he shot up. "You mean, there's more to my Semblance than that laser thing?"

"It's not laser, and yeah, 'course there's more. Didn't you hear a thing we told you earlier? About the biz with deities and crap?" Iris shook her head. "And that's not all – you need to improve on your swordsmanship, too. Vytal Tournament's no walk in the park, and I think I already mentioned this, but our family Semblance doesn't work crap against other humans."

"Wait, what?" Jaune said, puzzled. "Vytal Tournament? As in, the actual tournament?"

"Are there any other tournaments I could be talking about?" Iris rolled her eyes. "Of course it's the Vytal Tournament. It'll be taking place in a few months, not long after your second year starts. That still gives us some time, so why not take that time to do some serious training?"

"Whoawhoawhoa, wait a minute!" Jaune yelped. "I don't ever recall agreeing to enter the tournament!"

"Yeah, well, tough. It's a decision you make as a team, and ten lien says you're probably the only one who wants to sit out."

"That's 'cause my teammates are insane. Cool to hang out with, but insane," Jaune muttered. "'Sides, they don't have to worry about looking stupid down in the field, with everyone watching."

"And neither should you. Look, I've read through your reports, okay? All those close calls with some tough Grimm, studies and training with your friends, that fiasco in Mountain Glenn and Midgard-" Jaune visibly flinched at the mention of the abandoned city, but Iris carried on, "you went through some tough times, but you still buckled down and pushed on like a soldier. That's something to be proud about, you know."

"Huh. Wow, I, uh, that was…" Jaune scratched his head, embarrassed at the unexpected praise. "Thanks, sis."

Iris nodded. "I'm only telling you what I see. And now, you've got a Semblance, and a badass one at that. How many people in Remnant can say they can do the kind of things we Arcs can do, huh?"

Jaune chuckled. "Guess you're right. It's just… well, it's so sudden, you know?"

"I suppose, but how is that bad?"

"It's not. It's just… strange," Jaune cleared his throat as he idly plucked blades of grass from the ground. "Ever since I was a kid, people kept saying how I was a deadbeat, that I wasn't going to amount to much, yada yada yada, right?"

The eldest of the Arc siblings patiently nodded, gesturing him to continue. "Well, for so long I've always dreamed of being something greater, you know? Like all those famous Hunters, like grandpa, hell, even like you," Jaune admitted. "But now that I have this kind of power, I… don't really know what to feel. It's something I've always wanted, but never expected it to really happen, 'cause you know, it's me we're talking about here. Does-does that make sense?"

If she had to be honest, she couldn't relate. Her life, from childhood to the present, was very different to her brother's. Unlike Jaune, she was gifted with talents and natural aptitudes, always showered with praises and affection. While she wasn't a slacker by any means, she never once had to work hard, to the extremes, to achieve results.

Iris roughly knew that her brother's life wasn't as smooth a sailing as her's, but seeing this side of him, it felt a bit humbling. "I-I guess so. Still, at least now you know what you could be capable of. If you keep at it, you could be someone just as strong as our grandfather. Hell, maybe better than me, even. Imagine that."

Jaune chuckled nervously. "I seriously doubt I'll ever be _that_ good. I mean, you're a Venatrix."

Iris simply shrugged. "We'll see. You already grew so much within just a year, imagine where you could be in a few more."

The conversation veered off towards lighter topics, and the two siblings spent what remained of the afternoon catching up. Neither of the siblings had many opportunities to simply sit and talk, being busy with their respective lives. Before either of them knew it, the sun was already setting, and Yang called them in for dinner.

He was surprised to see they were two people short. "Where's Mr. Branwen? And Ruby?"

"Qrow's gone to see Ozpin, he just left me a message," Taiyang announced as he set the table. "As for Ruby, she said she wasn't feeling well."

"Is she alright? Is she sick?" Jaune asked, visibly concerned.

"We don't know. She came back in after training with uncle Qrow, then she's locked herself in her room since then," Yang sighed. "I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't budge."

The Arc siblings shared a look. After Qrow and Iris finished recounting the old legend to their young charges, the Lupi and the Nightingales parted ways to commence their own specialised training. He had no idea what transpired between Ruby and her uncle, but if he were to hazard a guess, it hadn't gone well.

Dinner that night was quick and quiet, none of them having much appetite. Iris teetered into the kitchen with an armful of dishes, before shooing the Xiao Longs out when they offered to help. "No way, those who cook don't do the dishes, mom used to say."

Jaune, likewise, was turned down as he rolled up his sleeves. "You too. You're worried about your friend, right? Go with Yang, see if you can help cheer her up."

"Alright. Thanks, sis," Jaune called over his shoulder as he followed Yang upstairs. Like the main floor, everything was neatly organised, though that could've been simply due to the Xiao Long-Rose family's cleaning spree to accommodate their guests. He shared a living quarters with both sisters for a year, and without a doubt he could claim that they were both messy as all hell. Thinking about all the clothes and socks thrown haphazardly on the floor was enough to make him shiver.

At the end of the upper floor was a small set of stairs that snaked upwards, leading straight towards a door to the attic room. "Ruby? You okay, sis?"

Silence. Yang knocked again, slightly louder this time. Jaune swore he heard a faint rustling behind the door, but if Ruby was aware of their presence, she didn't respond. "Alright Rubes, I'm coming in."

Yang tried the doorknob, only to see it didn't budge. Jaune was half-expecting Yang to bash the door open (she did so once, back in Beacon when she forgot the combination for her locker – suffice to say, Goodwitch wasn't pleased when Yang tried to justify her apparent vandalism of school property), but the blonde merely sighed, heading back down with a shake of her head.

"C'mon, no point in standing around here."

"Should I try to talk to her?" Jaune offered, a little surprised that the blonde firebrand managed to quell her violent side.

"No. She's not going to open up any time soon, and forcing ourselves on her is only going to make things worse. We'll just have to give her some time. She'll talk when she's ready."

Jaune eyed the door hesitantly, but acquiesced nonetheless. There was some merit to Yang's suggestion, after all. "If you say so."

"Don't worry, if I know my sister – and I do – then it won't take long before she cracks. She's not really good at bottling emotional stuff for long, you know," Yang pointed out as the blonde duo headed for her room just across the corridor.

"I hope you're right, Yang. I hope you're right."

* * *

"My apologies, could you run that by us again?"

Qrow sighed for the umpteenth time that night as he reached for his hip flask. A few of the Brotherhood personnel assembled in Ozpin's (somewhat extravagant) office wrinkled their noses in distaste at his social etiquette, or the lack of one. Not that he cared about what others had to say about his drinking habits. If he got a lien for every time he gave a toss about what others thought of him, he would've been very poor, indeed.

"That huge-ass slug you saw down in Midgard? The one that popped out of the tunnel like a goddamn nightmare? Yeah, that thing _spoke_ to me." 'Speak' was a euphemism for when one elder being communicated with another being by impaling said being with metallic spine, in this context, at least. His Aura took the brunt of the impact, but even now he could still feel the ghostly pain lingering on his shoulder.

His mind wandered back down the memory lane, to the part where he was forcibly warped before the elder Grimm, along with Ruby, before forced into the 'conversation' only they could see and hear.

It called itself 'Gla'aki', the moniker given to it by its fervent servants in the ancient times. It was what kept the twisted abominations dwelling beneath the earth in check, to prevent overhunting of their food source, humans. When the gate that sealed off Mountain Glenn's tunnel blew open, the allure of abundant fresh quarry was too much to resist, and the Grimm swarmed into the city. More would've emerged, were it not for him to strike a bargain with the elder Grimm.

Qrow winced at the memory. Desecrating the dead was sacrilege, but if surrendering the corpses of Midgard's soldiers and civilians could help stop more Grimm from pouring into the city, it was a risk he was willing to take.

Surprisingly, the elder Grimm kept its word, collapsing the tunnel and sealing it off, permanently. Of course, not too long after Atlas bombed the hell out of the area, but still.

"I'm sorry, but that Grimm _spoke_ to you? As in, verbal communication?" One Brotherhood member spoke up in skeptical tone, breaking him out of his thoughts. "I understand that there are indeed Grimm that displays a greater aspect of intelligence compared to others, but communicating-"

"That thing wasn't just your run-of-the-mill Grimm, sweetheart," Qrow cut in dryly. These people had no idea, and he wasn't going to bother clarifying them any more than he had to. "It was a damn elder Grimm, the kind that's been around for-fucking-ever. And when I say it 'spoke', it was more of a, well shit, telepathic sort of crap. And no, before anyone jumps to any bloody conclusion, I wasn't drunk. I wish I was, but no."

"Interesting…" The bespectacled historian spoke up for the first time since the meeting commenced. "Could you elaborate further about what the Grimm spoke about?"

Qrow took a swig of beefeater, a change to his usual pick of poison, but unfortunately his favourite bar was fresh out of his brand of whiskey. "It said that it noticed a disturbance, one strong enough to completely drive all the other Grimm underground insane."

"Like a twisted form of a siren's call," Oobleck said, recalling an interesting passage he came across in the Odyssey regarding the hostile creatures with enchanting voice, perched atop a cliff.

Qrow snorted, it was a rather fitting comparison. "Quite. The disturbance, a signal, lured them to it. And the signal was broadcasted by _that_ scrap metal."

All eyes converged on the broken remains of a machine, placed in the centre of Ozpin's table. In its ruined state, it was impossible to make out its design before it was turned inside-out. It was difficult to fathom how such a small piece of technology could've brought about the near total annihilation of Midgard.

Ozpin cleared his throat. "James, you mentioned you have something for us?"

The commander of Atlesian Fleet nodded. "I had my tech crew take a crack at it, and there's no doubt it, this is, or was, Atlas tech."

Whispers and murmurs swelled within the room, and Ozpin had to silence them first, before he let his colleague continue. "From what I'm to understand, this device is a highly sophisticated piece of technology. It acts as an emitter, broadcasting signals that strongly resembles the amplitude of zeta waves. While it has no official name, the early prototype models were simply called 'Blackbox'."

Heavy silence settled in the room, broken when a wild, blonde male elbowed his colleague. "Zeta wave?"

Said colleague sighed. "This, Arcadia, is why you should've paid attention in class."

"Miss Moisia is correct. To answer your question, Mr. Arcadia, zeta waves are the type of brainwaves that humans, and, by extension, Faunus, emit, particularly when under duress," Ozpin explained.

"It's basically stress waves. When people experience negative emotions, the brainwaves tend to be more intense than, say, positive emotions. Whereas people like you and I can see them manifest as facial expressions and bodily gestures, Grimm can sense them by the emanation," the cyan-haired Huntress extrapolated. "That's also why Grimm are so attuned to our negative emotions, not particularly because they are negative per se, but because they are stronger and so easier to detect than positive emotions."

"Imagine, then, how strong the signal would be if you group together, say, tens of thousands of people, maybe hundred thousands. How about a million, all conveniently gathered in one place like all-you-can-eat buffet?" Qrow quipped. "For Grimm, anyway."

"It's also worth pointing out that, while Grimm are drawn by feelings of negativity, they'd have to be within close range to the source of negativity to detect them. And zeta waves we humans and Faunus emit don't travel far," Port threw in his part of the impromptu lesson.

"Which brings us to this device," Ozpin said, completing the circle. "I suppose we can assume that this device's primary function isn't just to mimic powerful zeta waves, but also broadcast them at a much greater range?"

Ironwood stiffly nodded. "Yes."

"With all due respect, general," Peach addressed the man coldly, "I'd like to know Atlas' motives for creating such dangerous technology, and I'm certain I'm not the only one, either."

"You believe Atlas created this to use as weapons of war?" Ironwood's visage hardened. He turned to address the rest of the Brotherhood. "I will say this now, so that every one of us here are on the same page. Atlas created this Blackbox as an instrument to assist in Grimm extermination. The purpose of this hardware was to install it in a remote area, far from populated areas, draw in the Grimm to one single location, while the assault ships would stay in orbit, before vaporizing the area with warheads."

Peach, and a select few amongst the crowd flinched, unable to face the Atlesian officer in the eye.

"That's nice, but the question is, why the hell did it end up like this?" Qrow asked.

In lieu of verbal answer, Ironwood set down his scroll and switched on a hologram projection. A dossier of a man was bared for all to see, his only distinguishable feature being the white lab coat that hung loosely on his shoulders, and-

"Pffft, nice mustache," Qrow snorted.

"The man you see here is Arthur Watts, former Atlesian scientist and engineer," Ironwood said, ignoring Qrow's less-than-mature ribbing. "Back in his time, he was a highly respected man in his field of profession, brilliant and intelligent."

"Ah, yes, if I recall correctly, he was the one who devised the schematics for the Empyrium Shield, was he not?" Bartholomew said. "The papers he has written regarding the subject was intriguing, to say the least."

"Yes, it was one of his most noteworthy creation. He was also the lead director for development of Blackbox. For years, he was the face of Atlas science and research department."

Ironwood paused, shaking his head. "However, as a person he was reported as somewhat eccentric, difficult to work with. He was even accused of appropriation of research funds and black-market dealings. It wasn't until he was found conducting unsanctioned human experimentation that they finally cracked down on him. The senate issued a warrant for his arrest, and he was thrown behind bars for his crimes.

"Unfortunately, not long after he was incarcerated he escaped with the aid of his associates. We sent search parties to track him down, though they were unsuccessful. He was declared a wanted man, and they stripped him of his titles, his names struck off the charts," Ironwood finished with a frown. "He has been off the radar for years, some even believed him dead. Now, I'm not so sure."

"You think this was his handiwork, then," Port surmised. "And if what Barty said is true, then the White Fang was also involved."

"The sudden Grimm outbreaks cropping up all over Remnant in recent times, do you think…?"

"It's impossible to tell, but not unlikely," Ozpin replied, his tone grim. "If this Watts is indeed instigating these infestation, all the more reason to track him down and put an end to this, quickly."

Murmurs of agreement circled the room. Though the battle for Midgard won in their favour, it was at a hefty cost. Loss of life was extensive, a solid chunk of Vale's military strength crippled, while the number of Hunters on active duty were nearly halved. Rebuilding the city was looking to be a slow, exorbitant project in the making.

"I'll inform the Venator's Guild and get them to comb Atlas up and down, if need be. Every kingdom in Remnant knows what happened to Midgard, every major cities will be tightening their security."

Ozpin nodded. "That'll have to do for the time being. For now, we'll conclude the meeting here." Dismissed, the assembled members of the Brotherhood filed out of the office, though Qrow, Glynda, and Ironwood stayed behind, each stating their own businesses to address with Beacon's headmaster.

As the door closed behind the last out of the room, Qrow peered through the keyhole to ensure the coast was clear, before turning back to Ozpin. "Alright, looks like we're alone. So, what's so important that you wanted us to give those bullshit excuses to stay behind?"

"My apologies. I've come to learn that the likelihood of a secret remaining as such are inversely proportional to the number of people it has been disclosed to," the headmaster faintly smiled, earning amused acknowledgement from the others.

The obligatory breaking of the ice done and out of the way, the atmosphere turned serious as he got down to business. "There are two important matters that you needed to know. Firstly, our Fall Maiden's vitals have been gradually declining. If this continues, she may not be long for this world."

Qrow raised a brow. Then again, it wasn't surprising – Amber was a mess when they brought her in and hooked her up to life support system. Even with the cutting edge medical technology at their disposal, they all knew it was simply prolonging the inevitable. And when the inevitable came knocking on their door…

"And if- sorry, _when_ she finally bites it, whatever Maiden power she had left is most likely gonna head straight to that Cinder bitch. You are aware of that, right?"

"Of course we do," Glynda huffed as she turned to address Ozpin. "Still, he does raise a valid point. Do we have any way of preventing that from happening?"

"Prevent it? I doubt it. Cinder's methods may have been inhumane, but acquisition of power, no matter how abominable, is still acquisition. What Maiden's power that still remains within Amber will seek to become whole again. And seeing how in this case, Amber's last thoughts would most likely be that of her assailant," Ozpin explained, steepling his fingers. "There's no stopping Maiden's power from passing to another host. However, we can… circumvent the transference."

"Yeah? And how would you go on about pulling that off? The only way I can think of is to just cut this Cinder chick to cinderblocks, which is more of a direct solution to our dilemma," Qrow said.

In a rare display of concurrence Glynda nodded her approval. "Unnecessarily graphic, but I have to admit, the proposal is sound."

"That's certainly one way to do it," Ozpin said with a trace of mirth. "However, the method I'm proposing involves using a proxy of our choosing for artificial transference of Maiden's power."

"Is that even possible?" Glynda asked, dubious. "Transfering one's power basically means placing one's Aura into another, and that essentially means-"

"-squeezing out a soul from some poor schmuck and cramming it into another poor schmuck like stuffed turkey," Qrow finished with a scowl. "You realise how ludicrous that sounds? Not to mention that even if it _was_ possible, how would it affect the recipient? Two souls in one body? Would the foreign soul intermingle with the existing one, or overwrite it?"

"We do not yet know. However, the technology to achieve such a feat is more than mere conjecture. Ironwood, if you will."

"You again, Jimmy?" The Nightingale sneered. "Well, aren't _you_ full of surprises today."

Ironwood ignored the jibe. "I'm sure you're already aware, but for the past few years, Atlas has made much progress in various fields of science and technology. Among them, Aura was one of the select few subjects of interest that underwent extensive research."

"Please don't tell me it's another one of Watts' invention."

"Rest assured, it's not," Ironwood cleared his throat. "Well, perhaps, but his contribution was minimal, and that isn't important. What _is_ important is that Atlas was able to create a machine that can manipulate Aura. To be more specific, drawing out Aura from one individual, and imbue it into another."

A brief period of stunned silence followed after the bombshell. "You're shitting me, right?"

Ironwood shook his head. "No, Qrow, I assure you, I'm not."

"Holy shit. You are _not_ shitting me." Qrow shook his head, still unconvinced. "No, you've got to be shitting me. How in bloody hell does that even work?"

For the second time that evening, Glynda had to agree. "I was under the impression that such a feat is, well, impossible. Oum's Third Law states-"

"I won't go into specifics," Ironwood interrupted. He was a military official, not a scientist, despite his physique owing part of its functionality to various application and constraints of science. "Suffice to say, Atlas has not only invented this technology, but experimented it on animal test subjects. The results yielded were… promising."

"Animals, right," Qrow slowly nodded. "Not on humans, then."

"Not yet. But soon."

"How soon can you get it working in full capacity?" Ozpin asked.

"Hard to say. It still needs some adjustment, but it shouldn't take too long."

"Let us hope so. The sooner we can solidify our grasp over Amber's power, the better," Ozpin said.

"Of course. Just don't expect a miracle."

"Shame. We could use more of those nowadays," Qrow sighed. "We'll still need our guinea pig, though."

"Qrow-" Glynda warned.

The Nightingale managed a wan smile. "Just calling it for what it is, teach. Don't slap me on the wrist for it."

The stern headmistress sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, wondering how a man pushing fourties could still retain streaks of immaturity. If nothing else, it probably helped explain Yang and Ruby's occasional visits to the 'discipline room', Beacon's equivalent of a normal school's detention room. Not that they were problematic, but they were caught, more often than not, snoozing and goofing off during lectures, among other things. The recent bout of all-out food war between the Regalities and Winterbournes came to mind, instigated by aforementioned sisters.

"You mentioned there were two things you wanted to tell us, correct?" Ironwood asked, effectively restoring the flow of conversation back to important matters. "I assume the first was regarding the Fall Maiden in our custody, what's the other one?"

Just then, they were interrupted by a quiet rapping on the door, causing the occupants sans Ozpin to start.

"Come in."

Quietly, the door opened, and a woman showed herself in. The noticeable hunch of her back was a telltale indication of her apparent age, as her face, save for her eyes, was covered with weathered scarf. The rest of her attire was just as worn and unimpressive, much of the original colour faded after seeing many years of wear.

The woman looked up, and upon seeing the three of Brotherhood's inner circle, held her gaze. It was then when they tensed up, the very air permeating the room growing heavier under the pulse of powerful Aura.

"Glynda, James, Qrow," Ozpin said, seemingly unaffected by the spell, "may I introduce you, the Spring Maiden herself."

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome to Act 3, Vytal Tourney's just around the corner, and the season's about to get colder. Well, both in the story and in real life, the part of the globe I live in, anyway. I wish it snowed in winter down here, but it almost never happens. Ah well.**

 **Anyway, this chapter was a blast, albeit lengthy. This chapter was meant to serve as an explanation for some of the elements in the story thus far - Jaune's Semblance, changes in Ruby's, more specifically. I really liked the canon's Light and Darkness dichotomy, so I decided to incorporate it as part of their Semblance, throwing in my own ideas into the mix, as well as imagining their reactions upon discovering their 'gifts'.**

 **In any case, thanks for reading!**


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